Hiraeth
by You Are So Wonk
Summary: Hiraeth (n.) a homesickness for a home you can't return to, or never was. Sheila was gone, and Petunia Evans remained. Semi - Au. OC insert as Petunia Evans. (Discontinued. Rewrite will be posted eventually)
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Hiraeth (n.) a homesickness for a home you can't return to, or never was. Sheila was gone, and Petunia Evans remained. Semi - Au. OC insert as Petunia Evans.

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did I wouldn't be writing fanfiction online._

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Zinnia Evans contrary to popular belief wasn't a stupid woman.

Sure she acted oblivious to certain things. Like the fact that her husband sometimes stayed out _too_ late and would come home with lipstick on his shirt that _definitely_ wasn't hers. But Zinnia saw things that other people didn't.

She could tell that her daughters weren't exactly ...normal. Lily was a ray of sunshine but she was incredibly smart and was very intuitive for her age. Petunia, on the other hand, was just… _abnormal_. Her different colored eyes one blue, one light green that strongly reminded her of her own mother looked as if they were staring through your soul.

Don't get her wrong she loved her daughters more than anything but she could never truly understand them. So Zinnia did what she did best, she _observed_ them. On one of the days when she had been monitoring them her husband had actually come home early for once.

All of Zinnia's worries had automatically been washed away by his presence. They had their problems but what married couple didn't? He gave her a quick peck on the lips and offered to help with dinner.

Thoughts of her children had vanished. For the moment at least.

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Petunia Evans had just done one of the stupidest things she had ever done in _this_ lifetime. She and Lily had been playing on the swing sets when Tommy Martin one of the "cool kids" came and shoved Lily to the ground, claiming that '' _Freaks shouldn't be allowed to use the swings."_

Petunia usually tried to be a level minded individual. Keyword: tried, but it never ended up working well for her. When she got angry she was the kind of person to think with her fists, not her brain. That was part of the reason she died the first time.

If Petunia had bothered to pay more attention she would have noticed the bruises that occasionally littered Tommy's arms, or how whenever his step-father came to pick him up from school he'd subconsciously flinch away.

But at that moment Petunia didn't consider any of that. All she could think about was the fact that he pushed her baby sister(only by five minutes) off of her _favorite_ swing set for no other reason than the fact that he could. Tommy caught her staring at him and sneered.

"What are _you_ looking at freaky eyes?"

Petunia saw red. She pulled her arm back and punched the little shit with all of her might.

He tumbled to the ground and looked at her like she had grown an extra head (which was understandable considering that she was usually a pretty quiet kid) and ran out of the playground crying… but not before screaming profanities at the both of them.

Petunia almost felt bad for him. _Almost._ She looked at Lily struggling to hold in her tears and her motherly instincts kicked in as she immediately gathered her in a hug and tried to comfort her as they made their way back to their house. Their parents weren't going to be happy about this.

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Unbeknownst to the two of them, a certain black haired child with dark eyes that were similar to tunnels was watching them with great interest.

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Author's note: This is my first story so I'd really appreciate it if you guys could give me **constructive criticism**. Absolutely **no** flaming. I know that this idea is a bit overdone, but I wanted to give it a try.

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Here are some questions I have for you guys:

1\. What do you guys think of OC!Petunia so far?

2\. Romance isn't going to be the main factor in this story, but who would you guys like to see Petunia paired with?

 _P.S._ _I'll most likely rewrite this chapter later on._


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: Hiraeth(n.) a homesickness for a place you can't return to or never was. Semi-Au. Oc insert as Petunia Evans.

 _Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter._

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Harry Evans loved his daughters.

He may not have been the best husband, but he liked to think that he was a good _father_.

In the end wasn't that all that truly mattered?

Zinnia was a good woman, he definitely didn't deserve her. But he wanted _excitement_ in his life. Something that Zinnia could never really give him.

He did care about Zinnia. She gave him two beautiful children, how could he not care about her? It just wasn't love. It would never be love.

He patiently listened to her talk about her day while they waited for their daughters to come home.

(Even if he wasn't in _love_ with Zinnia he did love his family, he could never leave them.)

His father hadn't been there for him, but he would be there for his kids.

No matter what.

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"... _almost_ _there_ _Sheila_ …. _don't_ _give_ _up_."

" _We've_ _finally_ _done_ _it_."

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It was official. Her father was the most unorganized person there was.

"Have you seen my-"

"Your hats over by the lamp." Petunia stated as she avidly read the morning newspaper.

Despite her protests, Harry ruffled her hair.

"What would I do without you?" He stated while fixing his hat in the mirror.

Harry claimed that his job as a journalist demanded that he always looked presentable.

Petunia claimed he was just a narcissist.

"Where's your mother?" Harry asked.

An annoyed look ran over Petunia's face

"She went to open the flower shop. Lily's with her." Petunia sneered.

Her mother _loved_ flowers. She was allergic so she couldn't relate.

Her father lets out a booming laugh.

"Come on Pet, keep on making that face and you'll get wrinkles."

Petunia automatically smoothed out her face as Harry pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Well, I'm off! Wish me luck." He stated as he walked out the door.

Petunia couldn't help the fond smile that graced her lips. She loved her mother, but she and her father were much more alike.

She quickly went back to reading the newspaper.

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Severus was annoyed.

He had stayed near the swing sets for _hours_ in hope of seeing the two girls again. He couldn't understand why, but there was just _something_ about them that was pulling him towards them.

He vaguely wondered for a moment what it would be like if they were magical too. Maybe, just _maybe_ they could become friends.

Severus stopped that train of thought.

"They don't even know you exist." He quietly said to himself. "Besides, why would anyone want to be friends with you."

It wasn't any secret that he wasn't the most attractive person there was. With his pale skin and hooked nose, many of the children would turn their nose up at him.

Even his own family didn't truly love him.

His stepmother tolerated him, but his father did anything but. Don't even get him _started_ on his brother.

To them, he was an anomaly.

A low growl broke him from his self-loathing. He turned his head and saw a huge black dog glaring at him with black beady eyes.

He truly had the worst luck.

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Author's Note: I want to start this A/N with thanking all the people that reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I know it took me a while to update this story but I'm going to try to flesh out a schedule. Also, in the summary, I mentioned that the story was going to be AU. I'll explain more in the next chapter(which will hopefully be longer) but not everything's going to add up with canon-verse.

 _P.S. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter._

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Questions I have for you guys:

1\. If Petunia did end up being a witch, what house would you guys want to see her in?

2\. Who's your favorite character in the marauder's era?


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: Hiraeth(n.) a homesickness for a place you can't return to or never was. Semi-Au. Oc insert as Petunia Evans.

 _Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter._

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The dog started advancing towards him.

White foam was pouring out of its mouth, and its eyes looked feral. Severus felt his throat start to close up.

"Of course." He thought bitterly. "Nothing good ever happens to you. Only bad."

The dog was coming closer and closer in a menacing manner.

Severus scrunched his eyes closed and braced himself for what was about to come. Except… it never came.

He hesitantly opened his eyes only to see that the dog that had once been charging towards him was now frozen in place. He felt an odd sensation running through his veins.

Even though he could've been ripped to shreds just moments ago he couldn't help but feel an underlying sense of happiness.

Before she passed away, his birth mother loved to tell him stories about her life before she married his father. About how she had lived a life of splendor. How she had servants to do her every bidding.

And... most importantly… a life of _magic_.

If there wasn't a frozen dog standing right in front of him he would've done a happy dance.

A gasp brought him back to reality. He looked to his side, only to see the two girls he had been watching the other day staring at him in shock and confusion.

Just like that his happiness withered away almost instantly. This was _not_ going to be easy to explain.

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Lily knew that she wasn't the textbook definition of _normal_.

Whenever she talked to Tuney about it, her sister would give her a lopsided grin and state that normalcy was overrated anyway. Even though she had said this it didn't do anything to soothe Lily's fears.

Due to Lily's hair color and Petunia's unique eyes, neither of them had many friends at school.

Her mum said it was because they lived in an old neighborhood and people were very prejudiced but Lily _knew_ it was something more.

Usually whenever Lily would get bullied Petunia was always around to stop it. One look from her sister and the bullies would run away almost immediately.

But one day, when Tuney _hadn't_ been there to save her, two girls from school had cornered her on her way home.

They screamed at her. Told her how redheads didn't have souls, and that she and her _freak_ of a sister would be better off dead.

Lily was usually a very nice person no matter what anyone said to her. But, when they had mentioned Tuney something inside of Lily just _snapped_.

It didn't matter what you said about her. But insulting Tuney was crossing the line.

All of a sudden, the two girls had stopped talking.

Lily looked up and saw the two girls clutching their throats as if they had been possessed. Out of nowhere, the two girls had started to make animal noises.

They looked at Lily in horror and ran away before anyone else could hear them.

They never bothered Lily again. But after that day Lily had started to become afraid of herself.

Random things would happen whenever she got angry or annoyed. Windows would shatter, lights would flicker.

Even though Lily wasn't physically doing anything, she _knew_ she was responsible.

Even though she had Tuney, Lily still felt so _alone_.

So when she saw the strange boy with clothes that were a _bit_ large on him do the same thing she had been doing for _months_ she couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Even though she had never seen him before she felt a sense of familiarity when she looked at him.

She finally felt a little less lonely.

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Author's Note: I can't believe it's been almost _four months_ since I updated this story. I want to thank all the people that read, followed and favorited  Hiraeth during that time. This chapter was nowhere near as long as I wanted it to be but I hope you guys enjoyed it either way. As I stated the last chapter and in the summary this story is _AU_. Other than OC!Petunia, one of the first major divergences from canon is the fact that Severus's mother Eileen passed away while Severus was very young. Which means that this Severus doesn't have nearly as much knowledge about the Wizarding World as his canon counterpart did. Another major difference is that after Eileen passed away Tobias remarried. I mentioned the last chapter that Severus has a stepmother and a brother, they'll be introduced later on. Schools starting back up again so I'm not sure of the next time I'll be able to update  Hiraeth. I hope you guys enjoyed your summer vacation and I'll try my best to update as soon as I can.

 _P.S. This chapter was a bit rushed but I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless._

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1\. What do you guys think of Jily (James x Lily)?

2\. Who's your favorite professor at Hogwarts? Why?


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter that belongs to the amazing J.K. Rowling.

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The day had started out normal enough.

Her father had gone to work, Lily was helping their mum at the flower shop, and Petunia was reading the newspaper. Again.

Considering the fact that she was only 7 years old, people didn't quite understand her obsession with the news.

To be honest, Petunia didn't really understand it herself. Whenever she read the newspaper, or _anything_ news related really. She felt this burning passion inside of her.

She _wanted_ to be informed.

She _wanted_ to know what was going on before anyone else did.

She wanted the ability to control what the public thought and how they would view certain incidents.

Like her dad, she wanted to be a reporter.

A knock on her bedroom door broke her out of her musings.

"Tuney d'you mind if we go to the swings again today? " Her twin sister blurted out exuberantly.

A smile made its way onto Petunia's face as she set the newspaper she had been avidly reading down without a second thought as Lily grabbed her hand and proceeded to drag her out of the house.

That startled a laugh out of Petunia.

Lily was a free spirit. She was kind, pretty, and almost never lost her temper. The complete opposite of Petunia.

While Lily was nice to everyone Petunia couldn't be bothered.

The kids in their neighborhood treated them horribly, and the adults weren't much better.

The looks, the whispers, Petunia _hated_ it.

All because of her eye color.

Lily was her release and it saddened her to think that if it weren't for her Lily might have had an easier time.

But Lily didn't seem to mind. Lily was just _that_ kind.

Petunia loved her all the more for it.

They had been in a comfortable silence when all of sudden Lily gasped.

Petunia looked up and saw the strangest thing.

A skinny boy with eyes that reminded her of tunnels was backed up against a tree. A large dog with foam coming out of its mouth was standing in front of him completely still. Almost as if he'd been frozen.

The boy stood there with a large grin on his face despite the bizarreness of the situation. Tears were starting to pour out of his eyes but he looked completely free.

He looked at them with something akin to shock the moment he registered their presence.

It was at that moment that she actually realized what was happening.

There was a rabid dog standing just _inches_ away from this boy and they needed to get away right now.

Petunia grabbed his arm- ignoring the look that came over his face as she did so- and ran out of there as fast as she could. The boy remained silent throughout it all which Petunia thought was quite weird but decided not to comment on it.

Before they knew it they were in a completely different part of town.

Lily and the boy looked incredibly tired but Petunia felt exhilarated. She loved sports and was actually quite athletic. They made her forget the rest of her problems.

The three kids stood there for what seemed like an eternity unsure of how to proceed.

Petunia was shocked. How on _earth_ did that happen? Dogs _didn't_ do that. They didn't just freeze randomly.

The look on the dogs face had scared Petunia more than she'd like to admit.

Its eyes were glazed over and unmoving. Almost as if it was dead.

Lily being the godsend she was finally broke the silence.

"Are you alright? You looked as if you were crying. " Lily said with genuine worry on her face.

The boy blushed a deep red and muttered something incoherent which only prompted Lily to ask more questions.

"I'm Lily Evans!" she exclaimed with a beautiful smile on her face. "This is my sister Tuney! "

"What kind of name is Tuney? " he blurts out before he can stop himself.

He's rewarded with a fierce glare that would make grown men quiver in their boots.

"It's _Petunia_. What's your name then?" She asks. Her mismatched eyes staring straight through him.

"It's S-Severus. Severus Snape." He states uncomfortably.

"What kind of name is Severus?" she states in a mocking tone.

Severus shrinks in on himself and Petunia instantly felt a rush of sympathy for him.

"I'm sorry," she says albeit reluctantly. "I get annoyed really easily."

"S'alright. " He mumbled as he stared down at his feet. "I'm sorry too. Your names actually really nice. "

"Thanks. " Petunia answered blankly as she focused anywhere other than the Severus's face.

Petunia didn't think of herself as a judgemental person, but something about this _Severus_ character seemed off. There was just something about him that she couldn't pinpoint.

She snuck a glance at Lily and inwardly groaned. Lily had a look in her eyes. The look she had whenever she wanted answers.

Lily was usually very complacent, but whenever she had that look you would have to raise hell and high waters to stop her from achieving her goal.

She grabbed Severus's hands and held them gently in her own ignoring the blush that overtook his pale skin.

"You're like me aren't you." Lily gushed. "I thought I was the only one. "

Severus looked confused at first but that look was quickly replaced with one of joy.

"You-You're a witch!" Severus yelled as if It was the greatest thing in the world.

Lily bristled and Petunia raised her eyebrows. They had both been called many names and being called a witch wasn't exactly anything new. Lily had learned to ignore the insults by now.

Petunia on the other hand…

As soon as those words left his mouth, she grabbed Lily's hand and made a rude hand gesture towards Severus.

"Sod off your arse. " She states as she and Lily make their way back to the swings. Just because she had the mentality of an adult didn't mean she had to deal with snotty little kids.

Before they were able to make their way out of the clearing they were in Severus called out to them.

"Wait! " he yelled as he ran after them. "I didn't mean it as an insult! You're a witch and I'm a wizard. The reason I was able to freeze that dog is that I used _magic_."

Petunia couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Do you honestly expect us to believe-" Petunia trailed off as Lily moved closer to the boy picking up a dead flower as she did so.

"I'm… I'm really a witch?" Lily questioned as the once dead flower she held in her hand had started to become a beautiful rose.

Petunia had never liked flowers, but even she had to admit that what she just saw was beautiful.

Seeing as they were no longer hostile Severus nodded his head relieved.

"Yes, you are. "

Lily looked overjoyed. But almost instantly after a contemplative look crossed over her features.

"Is Tuney a witch?" Lily asked urgently grabbing onto Petunia's hand. "We're twins so she _has_ to be. "

The smile vanished from Severus's face.

"I can't tell, " he said sorrowfully. "Sorry."

Out of nowhere Petunia started to sneeze breaking the tension in the air.

"Sorry, Tuney. " Lily said sheepishly as she discarded the rose. "I forgot you were allergic."

"S'alright." Petunia replied. "That was _amazing_ Lily. "

Lily preened at those words before turning to Severus again.

"How can you find out if someone's a witch?" Lily asked.

Severus was quiet for a minute before turning to the two girls.

"I… I don't know. You're either magical or not." Severus replied. "Have you ever done anything strange? Out of the ordinary?" He directed at Petunia.

Petunia didn't have an answer for that. Everything _about_ her was strange. How many people did she know that had lived before?

A strange feeling overcame Petunia.

"Let's go, Lily, " she said somberly. "Mum and Dad will be worried."

Lily waved at Severus exuberantly as they left while Petunia just ignored him.

Petunia would later find out that Lily would start to sneak out certain times with Severus. Trying their best to trigger accidental magic while leaving her behind.

She would also find out that even though her powers weren't as strong as Lily's she _too_ was a witch.

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Author's note: Hey guys! I'm really glad I was able to get a chapter out by this time and I really hope you guys enjoyed it. This is the longest chapter I've written so far at 1k words and I hope I can continue to write chapters like this. You guys have been wondering if Petunia was a witch and this chapter answered that question. I hope to have the next chapter out by Christmas.

Here are some questions I have for you guys:

How do you guys feel about Albus Dumbledore and the way he conducted things? Do you agree with the way he did things or not?

What house are you guys in? I identify as a slytherpuff.

 _P. S. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think._


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

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Zinnia stood at the kitchen counter staring at her daughter tentatively.

For the past half hour Petunia had been glaring out of the window ferociously tearing at her breakfast.

Lily had woken up earlier than Petunia(Which had honestly surprised Zinnia) and had plans to meet with one of the neighborhood boys. She had relayed this to Zinnia earlier with exuberance.

Zinnia was overjoyed, of course, considering the way she talked about this _mystery_ boy Zinnia concluded that her youngest daughter had obtained her first crush.

Zinnia gave Petunia another worrisome look.

While Lily was out meeting new people, Petunia kept to herself. Slowly but surely becoming more and more isolated.

Zinnia had had _enough_.

Surely if Lily could make a friend Petunia could too?

She slammed her hands on the kitchen table startling her daughter greatly.

"Come with me. " Zinnia demanded as she grabbed Petunia's hand ignoring her cries of protest.

"Mum! I don't _want_ to go out!" Petunia whined as she tried to sink her feet into the ground.

Zinnia couldn't help but laugh at that. It was positively _adorable_ how she actually thought she had a choice.

"Look Tunia." Zinnia stated with the utmost seriousness as she gripped her daughter's hand. "What you're doing isn't healthy. You haven't gone outside in _days_. Lily's made a new friend, so you should too. You guys need to branch off more, and find _something_ that holds your interest."

Petunia puffed up in indignation.

"I've been outside!" Petunia exclaimed.

Zinnia gives her a dry look.

"Going to school doesn't count darling."

Petunia remained quiet, but Zinnia could see the wheels spinning in her head.

"Now, I don't know _what's_ going on between you and Lily, but maybe this is a good thing. You guys won't always be together now. You both need to find lives that don't revolve around each other."

Petunia looked down at her shoes and mumbled something incoherent.

"What is it darling?" Zinnia asks hopefully.

Petunia lifts her head and stares directly at her mother.

Zinnia tries her best not to flinch. She's just had a moment with her daughter and she refuses to ruin it over something so trivial.

"Mum. Could I maybe start taking dance lessons? Doesn't Aunt Joey have a studio?" She asked hopefully.

An unrestrained grin breaks out across Zinnia's face.

"Of course you can darling. We'll go first thing tomorrow morning."

Petunia sported a grin that was identical to her own. At that moment, Zinnia truly felt that Petunia was _her_ daughter. Not just Harry's.

They sat in a comfortable silence at the park they had found themselves in.

"By the way Tunia. Even though I said you guys should branch off, that doesn't mean you should ignore your sister. I want you to try talking to her. You guys used to be attached at the hip when you were younger."

Petunia's face seemed to cloud over.

"It's not that easy Mum. She didn't even tell me _where_ she was going this morning." Petunia stated as she rested her head on her arms. Zinnia could tell that Petunia was trying to shrug it off, but there was a great amount of hurt behind her eyes.

"I'm sure she didn't _mean_ to hurt you. You know how much Lily looks up to you."

Petunia hummed in agreement.

They sat in silence once more, before Petunia asked the most absurd question Zinnia had ever heard.

"Mum… do you believe in… in _magic_?"

Zinnia raised her eyebrows.

" _Magic_? I think everything's a bit magical. Why do you ask darling?" Zinnia questions curiously.

Petunia lets out a nervous laugh.

"Just curious." Petunia stated as she avoided looking at Zinnia directly.

Zinnia couldn't help but feel a bit hurt. It seemed as if she could never truly understand her daughter.

Zinnia smiled.

"Well… I might not look it, but I used to take dance lessons back in the day. I could help you out if you want." Zinnia asked nervously.

Petunia beamed back.

"That's actually why I want to take them. Dad showed me and Lily a video of you dancing. I thought it was _amazing_!" Petunia burst out, actually looking her physical age for once.

"Oh, he did? Well did he _also_ tell you that I was known as one of the best dancers in the region?"

Petunia listened with rapt attention as Zinnia recounted her younger days.

At that moment Zinnia decided that even if she would never truly _understand_ her daughter, she loved her nonetheless.

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Lily was screwed. She had heard Petunia say the same thing many times whenever she got in trouble, and even though she didn't know the exact definition it described her current situation perfectly.

Her and Sev( her heart warmed at the thought of the raven-haired boy) had been trying their best to trigger accidental magic. They were putting themselves in compromising situations in order to test their full potential.

If Petunia were here she would've scolded Lily most likely. Even though they were the same age Petunia sometimes acted like a second mother towards Lily. Braiding her hair, making sure she remembered to brush her teeth, helping her with her homework.

Some people would probably find her overbearing, but all it did was make Lily love her even more.

She had wanted to invite Petunia to come with her at first, so they could both explore this wonderful new world together. But eventually decided against it.

Petunia hadn't shown any signs of magic, and even though she always smiled around Lily there was still a great amount of hurt hidden behind her eyes whenever Lily brought up the subject.

Lily was seriously regretting that decision right about now.

In the process of trying to outdo Severus, Lily had somehow levitated herself to the top of a very tall tree.

And she did _not_ know how to get down.

Severus was screaming for her to stay still. It was starting to get windy out and rain droplets were starting to fall. The powerful feeling in her gut that she usually felt when she used magic was simmering down and had been replaced with a deep fear.

Her legs start to shake and she desperately tries to hold on to the tree branch nearest to her.

The branch breaks with a silent _crack_.

At that moment… something shifts inside of Lily. She finds herself falling from the tree, and it's as if she can't control her own actions.

A raw scream exits her throat as she falls into the air. It starts out very fast. But it gradually starts to slow down the closer she gets to the ground.

Instead of smashing into the ground like she expects, she starts to float a few feet above the ground.

Mismatched eyes glare at her as she makes a very soft landing.

Severus's jaw drops.

"What are you idiots doing?" Petunia hisses while flicking Lily's forehead albeit very softly.

Lily's mouth opens and closes like a fish, desperately trying to find the right way to explain it. It's Severus who breaks the silence.

"You-You did magic!" The raven-haired boy exclaimed.

A confused look marred Petunia's features.

"What are you talking about?" She states in annoyance, still disturbed by the events she just witnessed.

Severus sighs.

"You were the one who slowed down Lily's fall. It couldn't have been anyone else." Severus exclaimed in exasperation "We're the only ones in the clearing, and you had a... a _look_ in your eyes when Lily fell. That's one of the first signs of accidental magic.

A surprised look came over Petunia's face, but it was quickly replaced with a look of disbelief.

"Look Septimus-"

"Severus!"

"Sorry. But I'm not magical. I'm just normal old Petunia. "

" _If you forget about the reincarnation bit."_ Petunia thought bitterly.

Severus's face settled into a rare knowing smile.

"Even if you deny it, you're still a witch. When you turn 11 you're going to be accepted to Hogwarts like me and Lily." Severus said with the greatest certainty.

Lily watched this exchange wearily, still trying to recover from the fact that she could've lost her life right then and there. Her head was pounding and she honestly wanted to hurl.

Petunia looked at her and slung her arm over her shoulders.

"Whatever you say, Severus," Petunia states indifferently as she helps Lily up and they start to walk home.

After that day even though Petunia would continuously deny it, Lily knew that she was overjoyed to hear Severus say that. After that day Petunia would start to ask her many questions about magic.

Eventually, she started to come with Lily when she went out to meet Severus.

Before they knew it, Petunia and Severus became permanent fixtures in each other's lives.

It made Lily's heart fill with the exuberance that her two favorite people were slowly but surely becoming friends.

Lily relayed this to Petunia one night and was met with a scowl.

"He and I are _not_ friends!" She denied vehemently as she avoided Lily's gaze.

Lily smiled.

"Whatever you say Tuney," she replies as she stares out the window.

The future held many possibilities.

She and her sister were witches Lily thought with glee. They were going to spend their formative years at Hogwarts.

A bubbly laugh exited Lily's mouth as she thought about it. None of her other problems seemed to matter.

A pillow hit the back of Lily's head.

"Go to sleep Lils" Petunia grouched.

A mischievous smile came over Lily's face.

She grabbed her pillow and threw it straight in Petunia's face.

Petunia's eyes widened before narrowing again.

That was how they had ended up getting into an impromptu pillow fight.

Their father came in to check on them at one point but eventually decided to leave them be.

Lily could've sworn she heard him mumble " _These kids are going to be the death of me."_ before he walked out.

Petunia and she both exploded into a fit of laughter.

Lily grinned.

All was well at that moment.

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Author's Note: It's been about a month since I last updated, and I am honestly overjoyed. When I first started this story I hadn't expected anyone to read it. But, after seven months of this story being out, **67** people are following it and it has up to **23** comments. I just wanted to take the time to thank all of you. Now in regards to _Hiraeth_. Next chapter will most likely end up being a time skip. Now that Petunia knows she's a witch, next chapter will deal with them getting ready for Hogwarts. They're seven in this chapter, so that would be a _four-year_ time skip. They will have experienced changes during this time that will truly shape the people they end up becoming. So stay tuned if you want to see what that is. I know I said I would put this chapter out at Christmas, but I decided to post it near Halloween because I had a huge burst of inspiration not too long ago. I'll try to get the next chapter out by Thanksgiving.

Author's Note 2: One more thing guys! If you guys are having a hard time visualizing Petunia I've chosen a face claim for her. Google Josefine Frida Pettersen and picture her with different colored eyes (one blue, one green) and much curlier hair. I hope this helps a bit.

Here are some questions I have for you guys:

I'm planning on pairing James and Petunia together later on in the story. I have nothing against Jily I just want to try something new. How would you guys feel about that?

Do you guys feel as if you have a good grasp on Petunia's character, or do you need more to go off of?

 _P.s. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!_


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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Petunia was no stranger to death, but she had never truly experienced how it felt to _lose_ someone you love.

" _Sheila must've known,"_ Petunia thought bitterly. But so many things about Sheila's life were a blur to her now. The only thing she could remember was how she had met her end.

She briskly made her way down the stairs so that she could make breakfast.

Two weeks had passed since the one year anniversary of her father's death, and the only emotion she could feel at that moment was complete and total apathy.

She was so heartless that she couldn't even bring herself to cry at his funeral. Instead opting to comfort her mother(who had just had a baby) and her sister. People always wanted to know how she _felt_ about it. But she could never give them a straight answer.

She just… she wasn't ready to talk about it.

Her mother makes her way into the kitchen not too long after Petunia and presses a kiss onto Petunia's forehead. Petunia revels at the fact that she's almost the same height as her mum now. It seems as if it was just yesterday that she only reached her hip.

She goes to sit at the table while holding Petunia's baby brother Briar, and some legal documents for the flower shop.

"Thank you luv. I don't know what I'd do without you." Zinnia says while placing Briar in his highchair.

Petunia smiles at this but continues on with breakfast.

"Jo and Lori are sleeping in this morning, so you don't have to make any for them." Zinnia states as she simultaneously feeds Briar and looks over the files. They weren't poor by any means, but with six people living under the same roof they had to cut corners where they could.

Petunia hums noncommittally. After her father's death, Aunt Joey( who had also been her first dance instructor) and her daughter Lori had moved in. Joey was the best and always had a good thing to say, but Lori was a teenager and therefore wanted nothing to do with Lily and Petunia. She was usually pretty courteous to Lily, but she had a special kind of hatred for Petunia. Petunia didn't dwell on it though, as long as she was kind to Lily and Briar it didn't matter how _she_ was treated.

Aunt Joey wasn't _really_ her aunt, she had been her mother's best friend since primary school. It was a bit weird at first having Jo there, but she was almost like a second mom towards Petunia now. She gave Petunia how to put makeup on, gave her tips for her dance routines, and always lifted her spirits up.

Petunia continued on with breakfast before gasping in surprise. She turns to Zinnia abruptly.

"Mum, since dance lessons were canceled today I should be able to watch Briar." Petunia states exuberantly. "Why don't you close up the shop and go with Aunt Jo to the movies!"

Zinnia rolls her eyes.

"Petunia darling, worry about yourself for once. You're bloody eleven and you're acting like an adult. Why don't you use your birthday money and go with Lily to the movies instead? Take Severus with you too. "

Petunia sets the table for breakfast as Lily walks in rubbing her eyes.

"Thanks, Tuney," she mumbles sleepily.

Petunia nods and makes a plate for herself at the table, making a funny face at Briar as she sits down.

They make small talk, but a knock at the door

Lily gets up and goes to greet whoever it is.

Petunia and Zinnia start to talk Petunia's upcoming recital, Zinnia giving Petunia feedback while Petunia listens respectfully.

Lily walks back into the kitchen.

"Mum… there's a lady at the door." Lily blurts out. A look of excitement enters Lily's eyes as she says this.

As their mum goes to see who it is, Lily grabs Petunia's arm.

"Tuney… it's the letter. I can _feel_ it." Lily says. "The way she was dressed, it's exactly the way Sev described it. We're going to Hogwarts. We're _actually_ going to Hogwarts!"

Petunia was rendered speechless. She had been waiting four years for this day and it had finally come.

Their mum calls out for them, her voice sounding strained Petunia notes as she does so.

They walk out with their arms linked, Lily brims with excitement next to her.

A tall formidable woman dressed in eccentric green robes is sitting at the table. Just by looking at her, Petunia can tell that she's a no-nonsense type of person.

Her face warms at the sight of Petunia and Lily as they sit on opposite sides of their mother.

Zinnia clears her throat.

"Well… what is it you came to talk to us about?" Zinnia asks suspiciously.

The woman adjusts herself on the couch before pulling out two white envelopes.

"My name is Minerva McGonagall. I'm a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She states matter of factly. "Your daughters have been accepted to start this September."

Lily squeals and Petunia can't help but smile. Hearing someone other than Lily and Severus say it makes butterflies enter her stomach.

Their Mum gives them strange looks but turns back to the lady.

"My daughters are already enrolled in primary school. What's so special about this 'Hogwarts'?" Zinnia asks, instinctively pulling Lily and Petunia closer to her.

The woman clears her throat before handing each of the girls their letters respectively.

"I'm sure you've noticed, haven't you? That your daughters never truly fit in or were more mature than most kids their age."

Zinnia nods.

"Both of your daughters have a special gift. They each have the ability to perform magic. Hogwarts is truly a wonderful opportunity. It will teach them to control it." Professor McGonagall stated briskly, but when Petunia looked closely she could see excitement shown in her light green eyes. Hogwarts was obviously a very special place for her.

Petunia excitedly tore open her letter with Lily following suit.

Dear Ms. Evans

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will find a list of items you need enclosed on the second page.

The term starts 1 September, we will await your owl no later than 31 July.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Petunia read the letter multiple times. Trying to make sure this wasn't all an illusion.

She looks at the letter and looks at Lily. A childish squeal erupts from Petunia's mouth as she catches Lily in a hug.

A tentative smile comes over Zinnias face.

"When it comes to these two, nothing surprises me anymore." Zinnia says softly. "What items do we need to get?"

"Since your daughters are Muggle-born, I will be escorting you to get your school supplies." The professor states.

"Muggleborn?" Zinnia asks frigidly. "What does that mean?"

The woman hurriedly explains.

"It is not an insult. It means that your daughters don't have any previous magical heritage. You would be called a muggle since you do not have any magical abilities."

Zinnia nods and stands. Briar starts fussing as she does so.

"I'm going to put Briar to bed. Professor thank you for taking time out of your day to come by. When do you think would be wise to purchase their school items?"

The stern-faced woman straightens.

"Now would actually be a very good time to go. Diagon Alley is usually very peaceful at this time of the year. Trust me, you do not want to wait until the last moment."

A troubled look crosses Zinnias face.

"Would Sunday be a good time? That's the only day I'm free this week."

"Of course. I will be back by then." She states as she goes to leave.

Lily calls out to her.

"Did you visit a Severus Snape yet?" She questioned nervously.

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"He was the stop before this one. Do you know him?"

Lily grins.

"He's our best friend. Could he come with us on Sunday?" She asks looking at the professor and their mother.

"Of course he can." Zinnia answers "Severus is a delight. Besides, his parents might be too busy to take him."

Petunia frowns. Cecilia and Tobias Snape were _not_ kind people. Tobias was completely apathetic towards his oldest son, and Cecilia took every chance she could to tear her stepson down.

More than anything Severus needed a reprieve.

The professor stands there uncomfortably.

"Well, I really should be going. I'll be here on Sunday, please be ready by then."

Petunia and Lily bid her goodbye, while Zinnia hurries to change Briar's diaper.

"Lily… we're actually going to Hogwarts. It feels surreal." Petunia admits excitedly.

"Hogwarts? Is that a school for _special_ children?" A very snarky voice asks.

A very pretty teenaged girl enters the room. Lori was the kind of person that never had to worry about her appearance. When she was younger she had sported horrible acne and very unreliable hair. But now… she woke up every morning looking flawless.

"So _Petunia,_ what school accepted an abnormality such as yourself." She asked condescendingly.

Petunia rolled her eyes and Lily bristled.

"Does it ever get old Lori? Bullying an eleven year?" Petunia asks indifferently while inspecting her fingernails.

Lori contemplates this for a second.

"No." she replies cheerfully as she purposely steps on Petunia's foot on her way to the kitchen.

Petunia flips her the middle finger as she walks away.

"I don't understand why she's so horrid to you all the time," Lily exclaims heatedly. "This was supposed to be a _good_ day!"

"It still _is_ a good day Lily." Petunia interjects while rubbing her foot. "We're going to a _magic_ school!"

Identical grins come over the girl's faces.

"We have to talk to Severus. Make sure that his dad didn't give him a hard time for it." Lily realizes.

"You're right. Let me get changed first, then we can leave." Petunia states.

"Try not to take too long Tuney, you're almost as bad as _Lori_ when it comes to that." Lily states.

An offended look comes over Petunia's face. It wasn't her fault she wanted to look presentable before she left the house.

"I'm nowhere _near_ as bad as Lori." Petunia stated aghast at the thought.

" _Nobody_ can be as bad as Lori." Lily agrees as she followed her sister up the stairs to _ensure_ she didn't end up taking a long time.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Severus felt melancholic.

He was finally leaving, finally leaving the hellhole his mother had died in.

He didn't know whether to celebrate or cry.

His half-brother -Darwin- had avoided him completely ever since the woman had visited. It was actually pretty funny. Darwin who just like his mother took every chance he could to tear Severus down was now avoiding him like the plague.

Cecilia(he would never call that woman his mother) was consoling his father. Telling him that she always _knew_ something was off about him. That once he went to that _freak_ school of his, they could be a _real_ family.

Severus laughed aloud at her statement.

Even though she was a complete bint, Cecilia made a good point.

Tobias Snape was a handsome man, and Cecilia Snape nee Gathers was a beautiful woman. Tobias, Cecilia, and Darwin made the perfect family.

Adding Severus to the mix ruined that picture.

No matter what Cecilia said, Severus wasn't the _ugliest_ child in the world.

Once you looked past his nose, he actually had some nice features.

But compared to Darwin, Severus was second best in the looks department and probably always would be.

Severus walked out of the house quietly, not bothering to tell where he was going.

By the time he got to their usual spot, Lily and Tuney were already there.

Lily pinned him with an accusatory glare.

"You're late!" She started pointing her finger at him.

An involuntary blush came over Severus's face and he silently cursed his pale skin.

"Sorry, Lils. I was really busy." He replied putting a smile on his face.

Lily stared at him for a moment before giving him a smile of her own.

"Apology accepted." She said cheekily.

Petunia laughs in fond amusement at Lily's antics, before turning to Severus.

"How'd they take it?" she questioned worriedly.

Severus grimaced.

"Same old." He states indifferently trying to ignore the burning sensation in his eyes.

Petunia stares at him with those eyes of hers, assessing him. Before stepping forward to give him a hug. It reminds him of his mother.

"It'll be OK Sev. Don't worry about them." She says placatingly.

Lily jumps into the hug, not wanting to feel left out.

"Yeah! They'll come around Sev." She says hopefully.

Severus just stares at her.

"Well… Cecilia might not, but she doesn't matter. But I'm sure your dad will!" Lily exclaims with that optimistic smile of hers.

Severus laughs full heartedly. Lily and Petunia always knew the right things to say. If it weren't for them… he didn't know _what_ he'd do.

They spend the rest of afternoon just… just talking. About the most random things.

What houses would they get into? How was Petunia doing in her dance classes?

It was moments like this that Severus truly cherished.

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Author's note: I'm blown away by all the support this story is receiving. As of right now, _Hiraeth_ has **39** favorites **72** follows and **30** comments. So far all of the reviews have been positive, and it truly warms my heart that people are actually enjoying this story. The next chapter will most likely deal with them getting ready for Hogwarts, and getting on the train. I'll do my best to get chapter 7 out as soon as possible.

Author's note 2: Was anyone surprised about Petunia's father passing away?

 **Fanfic Recommendation:** I don't usually do these, but there's this really amazing fanfic called "Behind Green Eyes" by Wartermehloan. It's an amazing story and it truly deserves more praise. If you're looking for a Harry Potter sis fic that goes against the cliches, this is it.

Here are some questions I have for you guys:

What do you guys think Petunia's Patronus will be?

What type of magic do you guys think Petunia will excel in?

 _P.S. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Harry Potter.

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Even though they had tried to come at a reasonably peaceful time, Diagon Alley was still _disgustingly_ crowded.

Since Severus was the tallest out of them(a fact which truly aggravated Petunia) Both Lily and Petunia linked arms with him.

Professor McGonagall and their Mum led the pack.

"First things first, we should focus on getting your wands. Ollivanders is the best in that particular area."

Petunia felt her heartbeat speed up excessively.

Ollivanders was a relatively small shop, but Petunia instantly felt at ease the moment they walked in.

An older looking man stood at the counter, rapidly looking over different types of wands.

The professor cleared her throat, but that wasn't enough to break him out of his trance.

" _Ollivanders_!" She eventually hissed.

The odd looking man finally lifts his head and stares at them.

"Minerva! Lovely to see you again." He finally says.

"Yes," she states even though it's quite obvious she feels the exact opposite. "We are here to purchase wands for these three children."

Ollivanders accesses the three of them and beckons them forward.

Lily gets to go first.

Ollivanders throws multiple wands in her direction. Ordering her to try different movements with each one.

Eventually, he settles on a willow wand that is 10" long and said to be very good for charms work.

Petunia goes next.

Hers doesn't take as long as Lily's did, but it was still very uncomfortable to have someone observe her like this. It felt as if he was staring down her soul.

She ended up with an 11" birch wood wand with a Phoenix feather core. She felt an almost automatic connection to it.

Ollivander smiled down at her.

"This wand is a bit rebellious at first but once you master it, it will become one of your greatest allies."

Petunia looks up at him in amazement as Severus goes to get his wand.

Severus ends up receiving his wand on his second try.

Ollivanders gives him an appraising look.

"Yew wood, 10", with dragon heartstring. Interesting combination." He states. "I expect to see great things from you son."

Severus blushes in appreciation and mutters his thanks.

The professor all but rushed them out of Ollivanders. Looking much too happy to leave.

"The next stop will be to collect your books. Mr. Snape, you said you already have most of them?" She questioned.

Severus nodded his head.

"My mum bought them for me." He supplied briefly.

Petunia tightened the hold she had on Severus's hand. She knew his mum was a sore subject for him.

"That will save us a bit of money then. Have you read them yet?" The professor questioned.

An excited look entered Severus's dark eyes.

"Multiple times professor." He stated happily.

The woman nodded in approval as she led them to the bookshop.

"Teacher's pet." Lily teased. Severus blushed at the accusation but didn't deny it.

The bookstore was called Flourish and Blotts, and Petunia fell in love with it the moment she walked in.

She found herself drifting away from her family as she became more and more submerged in it.

She had been standing on a stool to look over a book called 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' when a boyish voice broke her out of her musings.

"You do realize your knickers are showing, right?"

Petunia froze, she knew she shouldn't have worn a skirt today.

A fierce blush broke out against Petunia's skin as she gracefully jumped down from the stool to glare at the offender.

A dark-skinned boy with cinnamon brown orbs was staring down at her with an infuriating smirk on his face. He sported very long eyelashes and could possibly have passed for a girl if he wanted to.

"Are you an idiot?" He asked seemingly innocent.

Petunia dusted herself off and spun around to walk away from him. She was heavily embarrassed and wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor at that moment.

"Hey!" he called out as she stormed away. "What's your name?"

She didn't dignify him with a response as she went to find her family.

Her mum and the professor were a bit miffed that she went out on her own but eventually decided to let it go.

"All that's left on the agenda is to collect your school robes and your pets. We're making excellent time." The professor relayed to their mother.

Collecting their robes took the least amount of time. Petunia was a bit skinnier than Lily, so all they had to do was measure Lily and give Petunia one size down.

Severus magically somehow already knew his size, so they were out of the store in less than fifteen minutes.

Their last stop was a store called "Magical Menagerie". It was nice enough, but Petunia desperately wanted to get back to the bookstore.

"Children, this is where you'll purchase your pets. Please make haste, it's starting to get dark out." The professor states, not unkindly.

Petunia peruses the shop, looking for anything that holds her interest.

She eventually comes across a small orange cat with the saddest blue eyes she's ever seen.

She walks up to the shopkeeper.

"What's wrong with her?" she asks him worriedly.

A strained smile overcomes his face.

"That's Clio," he says somberly "I wouldn't waste your time with her, she probably won't amount to much."

Petunias eyes burned with fury as he said this. She always had a bit of a soft spot for underdogs.

"I want her." She states matter of factly. "How much?"

The shopkeeper looks at her and sighs.

"9 galleons." He answers while grabbing the small kittens cage. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

In a childish moment of vindication, Petunia sticks her tongue out at the shopkeeper as he turns around. Ignoring Lily's giggles as she does so.

Even though she was supposed to have the mentality of an adult, there were times when it felt as if her mind and body were struggling to catch up with each other.

Lily walked around the shop countless times, before eventually settling on a very pretty, black owl.

"His names Artemis." she declared proudly.

Severus just looked around awkwardly.

"I don't really want a pet." He eventually admitted looking towards his shoes.

Petunia was a bit confused at first, but her eyes eventually widened in realization.

If Severus went home with a pet, his 'parents' would most likely give him an even harder time for it.

Lily brightened.

"That's alright! You can always borrow Artemis if you want to send letters." She stated.

Severus smiled as they walked out of the store.

Diagon Alley hadn't been _boring_ necessarily, it was far from it. But it was far too crowded for Petunia's liking.

She looks over her books as the professor prepared to apparate them home.

For the first time in a long while, Petunia felt strange… _hopeful._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Platform 9 ¾ was filled with tearful hugs and goodbyes as Petunia, Lily, and Severus got ready to board the train to their home for the next seven years.

Aunt Jo gathered Petunia in a warm embrace.

"Keep up with your dance routine. Just because you're going to a magic school doesn't mean you get to slack off." She joked.

Petunia felt her eyes burn as she nodded in agreement.

"You've always been a hard worker. So I guess I don't really need to tell you that do I?" Jo realized as her eyes started to water. "I'm really gonna miss you girls."

Petunia wiped away her tears.

"You still have Lori." Petunia mentioned.

The aforementioned girl had locked herself in her room and had refused to come with them to the station. Lily was a bit sad, but Petunia was overjoyed.

Jo's eyes noticeably brightened at the mention of her annoying, but only daughter.

"I do, don't I?" Jo stated as she went to gather Lily in a hug as well. "Good luck girls."

Jo went to pick up the rest of their stuff as Zinnia came to finally talk to them.

Zinnia had been uncharacteristically quiet on the way to the station, and it worried Petunia more than she'd like to admit.

But now… Petunia could see that Zinnia was struggling to keep herself together as she held Briar.

Briar didn't really understand what was going on and had followed Petunia around the house like he usually did. Petunia _really_ didn't want to think about how Briar would react when he realized Lily and Petunia were no longer there.

Zinnia smiled down at them.

"Your father would be so proud of you girls. I wish he was here to see this." Zinnia choked out as she gathered them in a group hug.

Petunia froze at the mention of their father, but Briar broke her out musings.

He looked down at her and smiled a toothy smile. Compared to most toddlers Briar was a pretty quiet kid. He was the picture image of their father with his blonde hair and forest green eyes. Due to this Petunia found it hard to look at him at times.

But at that moment Petunia couldn't look anywhere _but_ at him. At that moment he was the picture of innocence.

Petunia pressed a quick kiss to his forehead and quickly bid her mother and Jo goodbye. If she stayed any longer, she'd definitely break down.

She picked up Clio and her bag and quickly ran onto the train to get seats.

Lily lingered for a bit and squished Briar's cheeks as she bid him goodbye.

Much like Diagon Alley the train carriage was _very_ crowded.

Severus had left earlier to look for some good seats, but Petunia was having no luck in finding him.

Petunia eventually sat down in an empty carriage and threw her suitcase to the floor. Lily followed her shortly.

"Are you alright Tuney?" Lily asked worriedly. "Briar started tearing up a bit after you left."

Petunia's heart clenched.

"I'll get him a _really_ good birthday present when we get back," Petunia promised.

Lily smiled at Petunia before frowning a bit.

"Shouldn't we try and look for Sev?" Lily asked worriedly.

Petunia sighed.

"I already tried looking for him. We'll just have to wait till we get to Hogwarts." Petunia grouched. "I _hate_ crowded places like this."

Lily looked troubled at her statement.

"I hope he's ok," Lily said worriedly.

Petunia smiled, but Lily could see that it was a bit strained.

"Severus will be fine. He's a strong kid." Petunia stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

This appeased Lily's worries, but only slightly.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a bit, before a very _loud_ sound interrupted their peace.

A tall boy stumbled into their carriage, sporting an exceptionally thick beard.

"Gideon! You better watch your back," he shouted scowling.

Petunia and Lily just stared at the boy.

He caught their glances and seemed to remember his manners.

"Sorry for inconveniencing you guys like this." He stated flustered. "The names Benjy. Benjy Fenwick."

Lily composed herself first.

"Lily and Petunia Evans." Lily introduced nervously. "It's nice to meet you."

Petunia didn't bother speaking to him and opted for staring out the window.

"Well… I better get going." Benjy stated as he dusted himself off. "You guys are firsties, right? Good luck with your sortings!" The moment he said this he charged out of the compartment yelling obscenities.

Petunia shook her head and started to stroke Clio.

"He was nice," Lily stated. "A bit _weird_ , but nice."

Petunia kept on stroking Clio as she laid her head down and started to nod off a bit.

She dreamt of Hogwarts as she slept.

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Author's note: After this chapter, I probably won't update until after Thanksgiving. The latest will be late December. Even though I just updated only two days ago, the review count is already moving up fast. As of right now, _Hiraeth_ has **44** favorites, **77** follows, and **34** reviews. I can never thank you guys enough. Next chapter will deal with their sortings.

Questions I have for you guys:

I already have Petunia's house figured out. But where do _you_ guys think she'll end up?(I know I asked this question earlier, but now that you know a bit more about Petunia I want to see if your opinions have changed.)

Which character pov would you guys like to see in the near future?(Ex. James, Sirius, Lori, ?)

 _P.S. Even though this chapter was a bit rushed, I really hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless!_


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter.

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Severus wasn't good with people, especially children his own age.

The only reason he was friends with Lily and Petunia was that they were so much more _mature_ than normal children. Neither of them had ever scorned him because of his appearance, and they never made him feel as if he was… less than.

Even though he'd never admit it, his biggest fear was that once they went to Hogwarts they wouldn't want to be his friends anymore.

That they'd find people that were much better than he was.

Severus sat in solitude for a few minutes, before a very tall boy with scars on his face walked into his carriage.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked quietly.

Severus nodded his head and proceeded to stare out the window.

"My names Remus. Remus Lupin." The boy articulates. "It's very nice to meet you."

Severus sighs and massages his temple. He had been hoping to ignore the boy for the entirety of the train ride.

"Severus. Severus Snape." He spits out. He doesn't mean to be rude, but he _really_ doesn't feel like making small talk right about now.

The boy nods and stares at Severus as if he's expecting something.

Severus scowls.

"Can I help you with something." He hisses.

Remus looks taken aback and quickly shakes his head.

"Sorry! I was just thinking." He states as he lowers his head.

Something shifts inside of Severus, and he shakes his head.

"No, _I'm_ sorry. I've just had a really bad day." He admits, thinking back to how Cecilia cursed at him that morning. How his father just sat there and didn't even bother telling him goodbye. "It's nothing to do with you."

Remus nods.

"It's alright." He reassured. "Have you read any of the school books yet?"

Severus brightens up a bit.

"Loads of times. You?"

Remus nods excitedly.

"What's your favorite?" He questions.

Severus immediately goes on a tirade. About how they're _all_ amazing and he can't be forced to pick one.

Remus listens to respectively, adding witty commentary whenever he can.

Severus feels his heart warm.

Talking to Remus was easy. He was a good listener and he always had a kind thing to say.

Severus may not have had many friends, but he may have just gained another.

He talked to Remus for the remainder of the train ride. His mind sometimes straying to where Petunia and Lily could've gone.

Maybe Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad for him, Severus thought as Remus showed him a spell he'd been practicing.

Maybe he _would_ be able to make more friends.

He couldn't help but wonder how Lily and Petunia were doing.

Were they having a good time too?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lily looked on in astonishment as Petunia hissed at the boy that had walked into their carriage.

"Get. Out." she snapped.

The boy stared at her with an indifferent look on his face.

"No can do kiddo." He drawled as he ruffled her hair. "I can't find my friends, and the rest of the train is full."

Lily gulped. Petunia was _very_ touchy about her hair, she didn't even allow Lily to touch it at times.

To Lily's surprise, Petunia remained still as he did so. Her eyes even softened a bit.

Lily took some time to observe the boy. She couldn't help but notice how good looking he was. He had dark skin and very high cheekbones.

If Lily had to use one word to describe him… it would be stunning.

The two bantered back and forth before Lily made her presence known.

"Umm… who are you?" Lily questioned nervously.

The boy sent a dazzling smile her way.

"Caradoc Dearborn. And you?"

Lily found herself feeling a bit more comfortable.

"Lily. Lily Evans."

"A pretty name for a pretty girl." He stated.

Lily blushed as Petunia punches his arm.

"Stop hitting on my sister you creep." She glowers, but Lily can see that there's no real malice behind her words.

Caradoc sticks his tongue out at her.

"What's _your_ name since you have so much to say?" Caradoc asks.

Lily blinks. The way they had been acting towards each other it seemed as if they had already met.

"Since you asked _so_ nicely, my names Petunia." Petunia sniffed.

"I'll call you Tunia." He declared ignoring Petunia's protests.

Caradoc looks between Lily and Petunia for a few seconds before gasping.

"Are you guys related?" He asked.

Petunia rolled her eyes.

"We're _sisters_ you numpty," she states. "Your friends probably ditched you because of your stupidity."

"Hey, I don't wanna hear that from _you_." He scoffed. "Weren't you the one that decided to stand on a stool while wearing a skirt." He accuses.

Petunia blushes but doesn't deny it.

Lily looks at them, and can't help but feel a bit jealous. Seeing Petunia be this open with a person she barely knew grated on her nerves.

"You guys are firsties, right? What house do you hope to be sorted into?" He asks.

"Hopefully not yours." Petunia retorted smoothly.

Caradoc smirked.

"Your loss. Hufflepuffs by far the best house." He shared as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Petunia and Caradoc spend the rest of the train ride bickering back and forth, with Petunia doing her best to talk to Lily every now and then. It reminds Lily of a brother-sister relationship.

Eventually, Caradoc gets up to leave.

"I have to change into my robes." He tells them. "You guys should probably do the same. Good luck!" He winks at Lily before exiting the carriage.

Petunia sighs in exasperation.

"He's right, we really should get ready." Petunia realizes. "Lily here are your robes."

Lily gladly takes them from her.

They stand in silence for a bit before Lily breaks it.

"Tuney… why do you like him so much? Caradoc I mean." Lily questions innocently.

A look of utter disgust enters her sister's face.

"I do _not_ like him," she affirms, while pulling her hair into a ponytail.

Lily rolls her eyes.

"Fine. Why do you _tolerate_ him?" Lily asks.

Petunia mulls over the question for a bit.

"He's… real." Petunia states as if that answers Lily's question. "Even though we met not too long ago, it feels as if I can be myself around him. Other than you and Severus, I feel as if people are always expecting something from me."

Lily immediately rebukes that train of thought.

"That's not-"

"It _is_ true. It's gotten better, but sometimes people still look at me as if I'm some _freak_. Even mum." Petunia states bitterly.

Lily remains silent because deep down she knows Petunia's speaking the truth.

They get dressed and spend the rest of the train ride in silence.

The moment the train stops, Lily crosses over and gathers Petunia into a hug. Like the latter had done for her previous times before.

"You are _not_ a freak." Lily firmly states.

Petunia's eyes widen and a heartbreaking smile comes over her face.

"Thanks, Lils." She replies as she grips Lily's hand.

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As soon as they walked out of the carriage, there were multiple upperclassmen stationed around to direct them.

All the first years were being taken to Hogwarts on boats, and Petunia couldn't help but feel a bit giddy.

She loved being around water and dipped her fingers into the lake as the boat set off.

Lily was attempting to make small talk with the other two occupants of the boat. A short boy that went by the name of Peter, and a bubbly girl named Mary.

Petunia added to the conversation every now and then, but for the most part, chose to keep to herself.

The sun was beginning to set, and Petunia couldn't help but admire the beauty of it.

The moment they reached land, an exceptionally large man came out holding a lantern.

Lily gripped Petunia's shoulder the moment he came into view. Petunia looked closely at the man and saw that behind his beard was a very warm smile. Petunia beamed back at him.

All the first years buzzed with excitement and anticipation. Most of them had been waiting for this moment their entire lives.

The large man (who went by the name of Hagrid) led them to a place called the Great Hall. The upperclassmen were already seated, and Petunia saw Caradoc waving excitedly at her from the Hufflepuff table.

Professor McGonagall stood at the top of the hall, holding a very grungy looking hat.

Petunia saw Severus standing in the back and tapped Lily.

The moment she saw him, Lily ran straight towards him pulling Petunia along with her.

They both hugged him but stood quietly to listen to the professor give instructions.

All of a sudden, the dirty looking hat came to life.

 _ **Be you short or tall,**_

 **Large or small;**

 **I am the hat**

 **That is here to sort you all.**

 **I am here to choose the table  
**

 **Where you will be sat,**

 **I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat!**

 **If you are academically able,**

 **Hardworking, wise and smart,**

 **Ravenclaw is where you fit the part.**

 **If you are crafty and sly;**

 **Always willing to reach for the sky:**

 **Slytherin is where your loyalties lie.**

 **If you are friendly, loyal and true;**

 **Hufflepuff is the place for you.**

 **If you are brave**

 **And adventure is what you crave:**

 **Gryffindor is the home of such a knave.**

 **So put me on and meet your fate.**

 **Make haste; don't be late.**

 **Take care**

 **And begin this adventure if you dare…**

The room burst into applause as McGonagall called the first name.

'Bertram Aubrey' went into Ravenclaw, while a girl named 'Linda Barnes' found her home with Slytherin.

Petunia drifted off for a bit until Severus pinched her.

"Lily Evans," McGonagall called out, and Petunia's brain short-circuited. Lily gently let go of Petunia's hand.

Lily was shaking as she walked towards the professor.

She sat on the stool, and the hat covered her eyes.

The silence went on for ages before the hat eventually called out **"Gryffindor!"**

The Gryffindor table burst into applause, but _none_ of them were louder than Petunia.

She had been so caught up in cheering for Lily that she almost didn't hear the professor call out her name.

Severus had to push her forward in order for her to start walking.

She sat on the stool, and darkness took over her senses.

She tried not to flinch as the hat touched her.

 **Well, well. You're an interesting girl, aren't you?**

' _If you say so.' Petunia retorted._

 **You have a very complex mind. Now, where to sort you**

 _Put me with Lily' she demanded._

" **You're not made for Gryffindor, you think too much" The hat stated. "You're smart, but you will not make any friends in Ravenclaw."**

Petunia felt her palms start to sweat.

 **You're ambitious, but Slytherin would be a death sentence for you.**

 _Then where will you put me?_

 **You're a hard worker, very much so and you're loyal to those whom you consider loved ones. Yes. There's only one place for you.**

Petunia waited for what seemed like an eternity.

 **You will flourish in… HUFFLEPUFF!**

The hat was lifted from her head, and the Hufflepuff table burst into applause.

Her tie immediately changed into the colors black and yellow as she went to sit near Caradoc.

He ruffled her hair again.

"Looks like you ended up in my house after all, huh?" He stated as the sorting continued on.

Petunia rolled her eyes and continued to watch the sorting.

A 'Dorcas Meadowes' was also sorted into Hufflepuff, while a 'James Potter' was sorted into Gryffindor.

Eventually, Severus's name was called.

Petunia gripped the table as he sat on the stool.

The hat covered his obsidian eyes, and Petunia felt her heart pound in her chest.

His sorting dragged on before the hat eventually uttered ' **Slytherin!'.**

He rose from the stool and went to sit with his new housemates.

Unlike all the other houses, Slytherin was very quiet in its applause. They seemed like the type of people you wouldn't want to mess with.

After Severus was sorted, Petunia stopped paying attention. Caradoc introduced her to his friends, Benjy Fenwick(the boy from the train), Edgar Bones,(whose little sister Amelia had also been sorted into Hufflepuff), and Bertha Jorkins(A sweet albeit airheaded girl).

Once the sorting commenced, Albus Dumbledore(the headmaster himself)came to give a speech of his own.

At first glance, he looked like a harmless old man. But if you dared to look closer, you would see a slight darkness in his ocean blue eyes.

Albus Dumbledore was a force to be reckoned with.

The moment food appeared on the table, Petunia dug in. She hadn't eaten all day and she was starving.

She spent some time getting to know her new year mates, but for the most part, only talked to Caradoc and his friends.

She snuck glances at Lily and Severus every now and then to gauge how they were doing.

Lily was talking to a skinny black haired girl, who Petunia remembered to be called 'Sophia Parrish', and looked to be having a good time. Lily caught Petunia's eye and waved excitedly from the Gryffindor table.

Severus was keeping to himself and only spoke when he was directly spoken to.

Petunia took a deep breath. She was more worried about Severus than she wanted to admit.

Bertha tapped her shoulder.

"Are you alright Tunia?" she asked worriedly.

Petunia squashed down the bit of annoyance that she felt(Caradoc had gotten everyone to start calling her that) and pasted a warm smile on her face.

"Of course I am, I'm just a bit nervous," Petunia admitted.

Bertha beamed.

"Don't worry about it. I'll tell you everything I know," she stated.

Petunia listened on as Bertha talked her ear off about how to _survive_ Hogwarts.

Just by looking at her, she could tell Bertha _loved_ to gossip. She had information about almost everyone that was attending Hogwarts. Even some of the new first years.

Petunia smiled inwardly. Bertha would most _definitely_ be a good friend to have.

She looked around at her home for the next seven years and breathed out a shaky sigh of relief.

She couldn't wait to see what the future held.

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Disclaimer 2: I didn't write the sorting hat song. The credit for it goes to Parsley The Lion. If you ever need a song they're the one to go to.

Author's Note: I want to thank all the people that have favorited, followed, and reviewed for Hiraeth. As of right now, Hiraeth has **51** favorites, **85** follows, and **37** reviews. Thank you for the continuing support. Now that we're finally at Hogwarts the plot will start to pick up very soon. Up until now, it's basically been filler chapters. Next chapter will deal with how Petunia adjusts to Hogwarts.

Questions I have for you guys:

How do you feel about Petunia's house placement?

How would you guys feel about Petunia playing Quidditch eventually? What position do you think she'd play?

 _P.S. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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It had been exactly two weeks since Petunia had arrived at Hogwarts, and she was loving every moment of it.

Her roommates (Amelia Bones, Dorcas Meadowes, and Marlene Mckinnon) were exceptionally nice. Nicer than what she was used to at least.

Marlene was very boisterous. She had almost no filter and would sometimes offend others without meaning to.

Amelia reminded her of Lily. She was a ball of energy and always knew how to lift someone's spirits.

Dorcas was a bit quiet, but Petunia knew it was because she was homesick.

Petunia had caught her clutching a picture of her family to her chest one night. It had been the first time she had seen the stoic girl smile.

All of the classes were fascinating, and Petunia was already learning many new things.

Her favorite class by far had been Transfiguration.

She wasn't the _most_ talented, but she loved the theory behind it. She had been one of the only students able to turn a matchstick into a needle during their first lesson.

James Potter had gotten it before her, and he wasted no time telling anyone that would listen.

Petunia wrinkled her nose at him. He reminded her of the kids from her neighborhood.

All of the teachers each had their own individual quirks as well, so it made the classes that more entertaining.

She made it her mission to try and sit with Lily and Severus once in awhile, but since they were in different houses it was not a simple thing to do.

Bertha had pulled her to the side once.

"Be careful Tunia." she hissed glaring at Severus "He may have been your friend once, but Slytherins are a shady lot. It'd be best to stay away from him."

Petunia reeled inwardly. Bertha had been nothing but kind to her during their time together. In time she may have even likened her to be big sister material.

But… Severus was basically her _brother_. Just because the color of their ties were different didn't mean Petunia was going to kick him to the curb.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Slytherins were generally an unpopular bunch. She had asked Caradoc about it once and he just rolled his eyes.

"Not _all_ Slytherins are bad. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise," he warned as he stole a piece of bread from her plate.

Being with Caradoc made Petunia feel at ease.

She felt as if she could truly be herself around him. She didn't have a crush on him, as Bertha had once suggested while giggling. But she did care for him.

He was slowly but surely becoming one of her people.

Even though Hogwarts was an amazing place, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.

Due to the fact Lily and her lacked magical parents, there were a few people that viewed them as inferior.

On only the _third_ day of school, she had gained her first ever detention for punching someone that had _dared_ to call Lily a 'mudblood'.

Professor McGonagall had been beside herself. She spent _hours_ berating Petunia and had even threatened to write her mother about this.

That line had made Petunia snort. Her mum would've been _proud_ if she had heard the whole story.

Due to the fact that she had been the _first_ person in their year to get detention, it had given her quite the reputation.

It made some people look up to her, and others fear her.

The thought of it made Petunia want to pull her hair out. Her plans of keeping a low profile had been promptly thrown out the window.

In hindsight it was stupid. Petunia should have just ignored them. Or at least made sure there were no teachers

But… it _killed_ Petunia that Hogwarts wouldn't be the easy sanctuary she thought it was. That there would still be people that hated her and Lily for a thing they couldn't control.

She tried to think happier thoughts, as she made her way to her first ever flying lesson.

Hufflepuff was paired with Gryffindor, while Slytherin was being paired with Ravenclaw.

Lily practically _jumped_ on her the moment she walked out.

People watched on as Lily talked Petunia's ear off about how exciting she found everything was. Other than the flying lesson, the only other times Lily and Petunia were able to see each other was breakfast, Herbology(one of Petunias best classes surprisingly), and History class.

Petunia had been a bit tentative regarding her Herbology class at first. Whenever she came near plants, she had the tendency to start wheezing.

She had voiced her worries to Professor Sprout and had been met with a warm smile.

"Plenty of magical children suffer from that." She had been informed. "With parental permission, Madam Pomfrey can perform a quick spell on you to help with that."

Petunia had gaped at Professor Sprout before engulfing her in a hug.

Magic would never fail to amaze her.

She still didn't like flowers of course, but this would make her life so much easier.

A sharp whistle broke Petunia out of her musings.

Madam Hooch(the flying teacher) stood in front of them, accessing them.

There was a line of about 24 brooms lying across the floor.

Even though she tried to calm herself down, Petunia was _terrified_. Everyone else looked very confident. She could hear people bragging about how amazing they were at flying.

Madam Hooch cleared her throat.

"Everyone stand next to a broom!" she barked. "As soon as I blow the whistle again, I want you to summon the broom to your hand. You _must_ say the word "Up!" in order to do so."

Everyone followed her orders. There was a chorus of very loud 'Up's as everyone tried to summon the broom to their hands.

Petunia tried to focus magic in her hand.

She didn't get it immediately. It took her about seven tries before the wooden broomstick eventually floated towards her extended hand.

Amelia slapped her on the back and grinned.

"Congrats Tunia." she blurted out excitedly. Amelia had gotten it on her second try. Due to the fact that Edgar was on the Quidditch team, Amelia had a bit of experience when it came to the sport.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle again.

"I now want you to place the broom between your legs, and kick off." She said. "Don't fly too high."

Many people ignored her orders and flew as high as they deemed fit.

Petunia shakily rose from the ground.

Everyone else was literally flying circles around her.

Even Lily who abhorred sports was doing well.

Amelia who saw her struggles flew down next to her.

"If you put all your weight on it then you won't be able to go as fast as you want to. You have to be… weightless." Amelia revealed as she went back to soaring in the sky.

Petunia exhaled through her nose. She was starting to slowly understand.

Flying was a lot like dancing. If you don't position yourself in the right way, everything else would be useless.

Petunia stood still for a few minutes, before gripping the broom tightly.

Something inside of her shifted as she too started to soar through the air.

Flying was… exhilarating once you got the hang of it.

Petunia felt as if she could do it forever if she had to.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle again.

When she was sure that nobody was completely incompetent she had them all fly laps around the Quidditch pitch.

Petunia raced against Lily and Amelia, laughing as she did so.

Eventually, they all had to disperse to their next class.

She bid Lily goodbye as Amelia _dragged_ her to Potions.

She didn't hate potions necessarily, but Professor Slughorn was a bit of nuisance.

His blatant favoritism pissed her off, to be frank. He spent all his time kissing up to students that had ' _connections'_ that he sometimes forgot about everyone else.

Don't get her wrong, he wasn't the _worst_ teacher. But his personality left a lot to be desired in her opinion.

Petunia dutifully took notes as Slughorn droned on. She may not like the man, but that didn't mean she wanted to fail the class.

Amelia had no such worries and was floating her parchment in front of her to keep herself entertained.

Since her family was very respected in the Auror department(' _Law enforcement'_ Petunia's mind whispered), instead of giving her detention like he was required to do Slughorn praised her _exquisite_ charm work.

Petunia fumed silently. She had no problems with Amelia, but if it had been someone that _didn't_ have a prominent family, the wanker would've wasted no time in taking points and handing out detentions.

She trudged out of potions in a very sour mood. Amelia knew not to ask and walked next to her silently.

She started to feel a bit better until Marlene walked up to her and loudly 'whispered'.

"Hey Tunia what's wrong? Did you get your period?" She asked looking genuinely worried.

A slight blush crept onto her skin as she vehemently denied this and checked to see if anyone else had heard what the scatterbrained girl had just said.

An obnoxious barking laugh caught her attention.

She slowly turned her head only to see a shaggy-haired boy with piercing grey eyes.

Marlene glared at him.

"Stop laughing at her Sirius!" She demanded.

This only prompted 'Sirius' to laugh harder and harder.

Petunia speed walked away from them with Amelia calling out to her.

She wanted to retract her previous statement. She only liked _parts_ of Hogwarts definitely not all of it.

She made her way to the library to meet up with Severus and Lily. She _desperately_ hoped that they were having a better time than she was at the moment.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Contrary to popular belief, James Potter wasn't a complete idiot.

Sure, he sometimes put on a loud front and was quick to get himself into trouble. But James saw things that others didn't.

Due to being an only child, James spent most of his childhood observing others. This came in handy more often than not.

It helped him figure out the best times to prank anyone, and it also helped him figure out how to get himself out of trouble.

He almost always knew what was going on with a person before even getting a chance to talk to them.

But… when it came to the topic of Petunia Evans his mind always came up blank. Unlike her sister Lily who was a completely open book, Petunia kept herself closed off.

She had friends sure, and she was usually very courteous to adults. But, it was as if she was on autopilot.

She did what was expected of her and not what she truly _wanted_ to do. It was as if she only cared about making others happy and not herself.

The first time he had seen her show true emotion was when she had punched Mulciber for calling Lily a 'mudblood'.

Her mismatched eyes lit up and James couldn't help but just stare at them. Sirius thought they were a bit weird, but he found them fascinating.

An unknown sensation filled his stomach as she punched Mulciber. All of the girls _he_ knew wouldn't have wanted to get their hands dirty.

There would be times when James would find himself just staring at her. Waiting to see what her next move would be.

The only times she had a true smile on her face was when she was with Lily, the Slytherin weirdo that Remus would sometimes talk to, and some third-year named 'Dearborn'.

When he was able to turn a needle into a matchstick during their first Transfiguration lesson, he looked to see what her reaction was out of the corner of his eye.

He was a bit disheartened to see that she didn't look the least bit interested and was more focused on her own work.

He had almost crashed his broom during flying lessons because he wanted to see how she was doing. He couldn't help the slight smile that came to his face as she raced against Lily and the Bones girl. Her laugh reminded him of music.

Petunia Evans was a mystery and he was determined to solve it.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Author's Note: As of right now _Hiraeth_ has **52** favorites, **89** follows, and **45** reviews. Thank you guys again for the continued support. A lot of you wanted to see James POV, and now it's finally here. This chapter covers Petunia's first two weeks at Hogwarts. I _promise_ the plot is going to start up soon, so please be patient. I hope you guys have had an amazing Thanksgiving(if you celebrate it) and I will hopefully see you soon.

Questions I have for you Guys:

What do you think of James POV? Some stories portray him as a bit more immature at this age, but I disagree. Sure he was a prankster and a bit of a bully, but I feel that since he was raised in a pureblood household he'd be a bit more observant. Do you guys think I made him _too_ mature?

Do you guys think that Petunia is a Mary-Sue? If so please tell me why.

 _P.S. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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Severus nursed his jaw as he made his way to the library.

One of the boys in his dormitory(Evan Rosier) showed him how to use a concealing charm, so he didn't have to worry about a bruise showing.

The moment he had been hit, he forced himself not to show any emotion.

He quickly learned that any emotion at all was considered a weakness in Slytherin.

Looking back, he should've gone about it in a different way.

Ever since Petunia punched him, Mulciber had been searching for ways to get back at her.

In his words 'The mudblood had to be put in her place.'

He eventually settled on ambushing her on Saturday, it was common knowledge that Petunia and Lily were both very studious and would most likely meet up early to go to the library.

The moment he finished telling his ' _wonderful'_ plan, he looked around to see who would help him.

He eventually looked to Severus.

"Come on Snape, let's get two mudbloods at once." He stated cheerfully trying to shake Severus's hand as if torturing students was some type of game to him.

Rage overcame Severus, but he kept his face calm.

He looked at Mulciber and stated frankly,

"Sorry Mulciber, but you're a vomit inducing waste of _space_ that I'd rather not be associated with. Those two _muggle-borns_ happen to be my friends and if one hair on their heads is hurt, I _will_ make you suffer." Severus hissed, surprising himself and many others.

Even though he was a complete dunderhead Mulciber came from a very distinguished family. He was heir to one of the oldest pureblood families there was.

Due to this, he was a powerhouse in Slytherin. A powerhouse that Severus had just challenged.

Mulcibers face turned into an ugly mixture of red and white as he walked closer to Severus.

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you, _Snape_. Just because you have the Prince family backing you doesn't mean anything." He hissed. "You're worse than a mudblood in my opinion."

Severus stood his ground, but he was inwardly reeling. The Princes? How did he even know about his Mum's family? What did he mean they were backing him?

"Just like your mother." He sneered marring his otherwise handsome face. "Choosing to side with muggles."

Severus wasn't exactly sure what happened. The moment that piece of trash mentioned his mother his mind blacked out.

Mulciber bruised his jaw. But Severus was happy to report that he had broken his nose and gave him a black eye.

He was _also_ pleased to report that it was in the exact same place Petunia had given him one.

Since Mulciber had basically got his arse handed to him by not one but _two_ first years, his standing in Slytherin was a bit shaky.

People were starting to look at Severus a bit differently. Even though he was a half-blood, people in his year were now starting to come to him for advice with school work.

He had started a small studying group with some of the kids in his year(Jonathan Davis, Adrasteia Avery, and Evan Rosier). They weren't friends, tentative allies at best.

Standing up to Mulciber had gained him a bit of respect.

It made Severus want to laugh. Just last week nobody in his house wanted to be seen with him.

He still had his fair share of enemies of course. Having two muggle-borns as your best friends wasn't exactly the way to garner popularity in Slytherin.

But… Severus found that he didn't care. He wouldn't trade Lily and Petunia for _anything_.

The moment he walked into the library Petunia's eyes sharpened. He gulped as he self consciously touched his jaw.

They were still only first years, so the concealing charm he had wasn't the best.

Petunia immediately started to interrogate him. Severus rolled his eyes, but inwardly he was quite pleased that someone cared for him this much.

He contemplated telling her about Mulciber's plan but ultimately decided against it. It wouldn't do any good to worry her. Besides, if Mulciber tried _anything_ Severus would be right there to hex the living daylights out of him.

Lily eventually came in with Remus. Remus sent Severus a small smile as he took the seat beside him.

Remus was a good kid Severus had decided. He wasn't a _permanent_ fixture in their group( He hung out with the boys in his dormitory more often) but he was a nice addition.

They spent the rest of the afternoon going over notes for DADA(Defense Against the Dark Arts). Remus was the best in that particular subject and he gently corrected them whenever they would get something wrong.

Severus chanced a glance at Lily and Petunia and smiled one of his rare smiles.

Severus wasn't the best at showing emotion at times. He _obviously_ wasn't the best at making friends. But he was the type of person that would _burn Europe to the ground_ for the people he loved.

Mulciber be damned, _nobody_ would harm his loved ones.

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Remus had been especially nervous getting on the train for Hogwarts.

His mum and dad reassured him multiple times that everything was going to be fine. _Dumbledore_ was going to be there after all. If he was there then everything would be fine for sure.

Even though his mum and dad explained this, he couldn't help the butterflies that rested at the bottom of his stomach.

He sat in the first compartment he could find that wasn't completely full.

The boy across from him chose to ignore him completely. Remus truly didn't mind that at first, but his mum made him _promise_ to try and make friends.

Remus cleared his throat.

"My names Remus. Remus Lupin. It's very nice to meet you." He articulates while trying his best to give a kind smile.

The boy introduced himself quite rudely and was obviously in a sour mood. Remus tried his best to be as polite as he could.

The first few minutes were a bit awkward, with Severus just glaring out the window.

He didn't necessarily _like_ Severus at first. He was rude and very snappy.

But… once he apologized and the subject of books had been brought up they immediately descended into a very deep conversation.

Remus found that Severus truly wasn't all that bad, and aspired to get to know him.

Even though they were in different houses they still found time to meet up and just talk about random things.

He truly hadn't been this happy for a long time.

He wondered how Severus would react if he told him about his problem. Would he accept him? Would he reject him?

He didn't want to risk it.

Severus was the first friend he had made in a long while, and he couldn't lose him.

The boys in his dorm room were good for a laugh, they were slowly but surely worming their way into his heart.

James and Sirius were hilarious, even though they had just met it seemed as if they were already on the way to being great friends. Peter was nice enough, and he was always up for a game of Gobstones.

It wasn't the same as what he had with Severus or even Lily and Petunia who would sometimes talk to him at breakfast. Not _yet_ at least. But Remus enjoyed spending time with them.

They were his key to a somewhat _normal_ childhood.

Remus knew he was dangerous, a monster even. But Remus _also_ knew he was selfish.

He just… he didn't want to be _alone_ anymore.

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Author's note: This chapter was a bit rushed, so I apologize if you guys didn't enjoy it as much. Chapter 11 is coming very soon. It will most likely be out later tonight. Not much happened this chapter but things will hopefully start to pick up very soon.

Questions I have for you Guys:

I'm thinking about starting another fanfic. What fandom would you guys be interested in seeing?

What are some of the best SI/OC fanfics you've read?

 _P.S. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for the continued support._


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter.

 **Warning: Make sure you read chapter 10 before you read this one.**

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The moment the hat shouted out " **Gryffindor!"** Sirius felt his heart stop.

He shakily made his way to the Gryffindor table. Ignoring the looks he was receiving.

Blacks… Blacks didn't _go_ into Gryffindor.

" _The sorting hat is always right."_ his mother had told him when he had voiced his worries. " _You are a_ _ **Black**_ _Sirius. You_ _ **will**_ _get into Slytherin."_

He wondered how angry she would be when she found out.

The applause from Gryffindor was very faint. He could practically _feel_ the Slytherins glaring at him. Already classifying him as a traitor.

Gryffindor wasn't bad he quickly decided. For the first time ever he had real genuine _friends,_ not allies.

James was _hilarious._ He _loved_ pranking and he wasn't superficial like most of the other purebloods. It almost felt as if he had gained a second brother.

Remus was shockingly clever, and Peter was just… Peter. He was a nice kid that was always up for anything.

People still sneered at him in the hallway, but it was _okay._

He finally felt as if he belonged.

When Mulciber had called him a blood traitor, Sirius kept a cool facade. Blacks didn't falter, and Blacks most _definitely_ didn't break.

 _(Did he even count as a Black anymore?)_

He hadn't expected Lily to stand up for him. His parents always told him that mudbloods were weak pitiful creatures.

When Lily's sister punched Mulciber Sirius firmly threw that ideology out the window.

If purebloods were so _superior,_ then how come Mulciber was the one lying on the ground, while the mudblood was standing over him?

Sirius had never felt this conflicted.

The howler his mum had sent him had been short and sweet. Admittedly Sirius hadn't paid much attention. The only words he could remember were ' _Blood Traitor!_ ' and ' _Disgrace!'._

His mother had never been much for words.

He had gone to the owlery hoping to send a letter to Regulus when he had just… _lost it._

He wasn't quite sure how it happened. He had never been much of a crier.

But now tears were streaming down his face and everything just felt _wrong._

Would Regulus even _want_ a letter from him?

He hadn't heard her come in. When she sat down next to him he felt his entire body freeze.

Was she going to make fun of him? Make him feel even more worthless than he already did?

Lily's sister('Petunia' his mind whispered) wrapped her arms around him.

Sirius's mind was coming up blank.

Why would she comfort _him_? Sirius had never really talked to the other Evans girl before. He had seen Remus talk to her, and he'd caught James staring at her more than once. Even Peter had partnered with her in Herbology once.

He was the only one that wasn't all that interested in her.

After a few minutes of him crying pitifully, he eventually looked at her.

"Why?" he croaked desperately trying to wipe his eyes.

Petunia sent him a tiny smile.

"You look lonely." she eventually said.

Sirius remained quiet before bursting out.

"But… you're a mudblood!" he cried out. "You're not supposed to be kind. You're… you're supposed to be…" Sirius trailed off and for the first time ever truly _looked_ at Petunia.

Instead of flinching like most people did when called that. Petunia just stood there impassively.

"So what if I'm a mudblood?" Petunia challenged "I'm still _human._ "

It felt as if Sirius's entire world was crashing and burning right in front of him. Everything he had ever been taught was being challenged at that moment.

A tiny laugh escaped from Sirius.

"You're right." he realized "You're _right_."

He quickly sent his letter to Regulus and rushed to get away from there.

The next day he sought her out.

She was watching the Hufflepuff Quidditch tryouts with Dearborn and looked to be truly enjoying herself.

He quietly took the seat next to her. She didn't say anything, but the way her body tensed meant she knew he was there.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as the Hufflepuffs soared through the air. "I didn't mean to call you that the other day."

The other girl didn't reply at first. But she eventually looked towards him… and punched him in the arm.

Sirius yelped and rubbed his arm tenderly. He shrunk under the girl's gaze.

"I don't care that you called me a mudblood Black. It's a stupid weak insult," she stated.

Sirius gaped.

"Then… why did you punch Mulciber?" he asked hesitantly.

Petunia contemplated this for a second before replying.

"Mulcibers a bully and I don't like him. Just because _I_ don't care about the word doesn't mean others don't. Lily just so happens to be one of the people that care about it." she explained before turning to give Sirius a dirty look.

"If you had called _Lily_ a mudblood I'd kick your arse."

Sirius let out a shaky laugh. Petunia Evans was _terrifying._

They watched the rest of the tryouts in peace. Petunia was completely invested in it. Dearborn had teased her relentlessly about it afterward.

He watched her walk away with a smile on his face. Petunia was… _weird._ Not in a _bad_ way necessarily but he had never met anyone quite like her.

There was something about her that just made you _want_ to gain her approval.

Even if she was a mud- _muggle-born_. Sirius wanted to know more about her.

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The moment Petunia had woken up that morning she had the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

When she had gone down to breakfast she greeted Lily and took the seat next to her.

She would've sat with Severus, but he didn't come to breakfast that morning.

Petunia brushed it off at first, Severus sometimes skipped breakfast to look over his studies. Petunia scolded him about it before, but Severus had just ignored her.

The only time Petunia had truly started to get worried was when Severus hadn't shown up for astronomy.

Now Severus _hated_ astronomy. But he would never have skipped out on class.

She met up with Lily afterward.

"Have you seen Sev?" Lily questioned worriedly. "He wasn't in Potions today."

Petunia gaped. Potions were Severus's _best_ subject, he wouldn't miss it for _anything_.

A fierce look entered Lily's eyes.

"We should ask the Slytherins, they must know _something_." She conveyed.

Petunia was hesitant at first but eventually nodded her head.

Jonathan Davis had been the first person they had cornered.

The moment he saw Petunia his hand immediately went towards his wand.

Petunia just sighed and massaged her temples.

"Do you know where Severus is?" Lily demanded. Her hand was also inching towards her wand and Petunia could tell she meant business.

Jonathan's eyes searched Lily's face as he discreetly looked at their surroundings. It wouldn't do him any good to be seen conversing with mudbloods of course.

"Look Evans." He started tentatively. "I haven't seen Snape since yesterday. If I were you I'd mind my business."

Lily's face turned almost as red as her hair. Petunia chose this moment to step in.

"Look Davis. Severus is our _friend_." Petunia stressed. "We're not going to leave him alone. You obviously know something. Which means that we're not going to leave _you_ alone until you tell us."

Jonathan looked to be at war with himself.

"Oh alright." Jonathan relented. "I… Mulciber might have something to do with it. Ever since you punched him he's been looking for ways to hurt you. Severus stood up for you and now Mulciber's looking for ways to hurt _him_. If you know what's good for you, you'd stay out of this."

Petunia and Lily were speechless, trying to make sense of the words that had just been spoken. Jonathan rushed past them.

Like always, Lily was the one to break the silence.

"Why didn't he tell us." Lily choked out. "What if Mulciber _did_ something to him?"

Petunia found that she couldn't speak. Images of Severus laying somewhere hurt and alone clouded her mind.

This was _her_ fault. By trying to protect one of her loved ones, she ended up inadvertently hurting another.

She dug her fingernails into her palms and took a deep breath.

If one hair on Severus's head was hurt Mulciber would _pay_.

"Should we tell a teacher?" Lily suggested rubbing her eyes.

"Lils," Petunia stated, trying her best to keep calm. " _We_ have to go looking for him. Severus has been missing since yesterday night and the teachers haven't done a _damn_ thing."

Lily looked at Petunia in shock. Lily had never been much of a rule breaker before so this was completely foreign to her.

Petunia looked straight at Lily, and without voicing any words told her everything that needed to be said.

 _Severus_ _ **needs**_ _us, Lily!_

Lily nodded her head and forced her tears back. She _refused_ to cry anymore.

"You're right Tuney. Let's go." Lily agreed vehemently.

The two sisters rushed off towards the Slytherin common room. The Slytherin Quidditch tryouts were being held that day so it would most likely be very empty.

Unbeknownst to them, a messy-haired boy with clear hazel eyes was staring at them. Completely invested.

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Author's note: Chapter 11 is here! This is the fastest I've ever updated but I really wanted to get this chapter out. The plot is slowly starting to pick up and I really hope you guys enjoy it. ' _Hiraeth'_ will slowly but surely start to become more action-packed. As of right now ' _Hiraeth'_ has **54** reviews, **98** follows, and **56** favorites. I know I say this a lot, but I truly cannot thank you guys enough.

Questions I have for you Guys:

James x Petunia(Jetunia, Juney?) is the main eventual pairing. What side pairings would you guys like to see?

What do you guys think of Sirius's POV?

 _P.S. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!_


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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When Severus awoke his head immediately started to throb in pain. He raised his hand to his forehead only to see a thick red metallic substance rub off on it. _( His heartbeat quickened-his mother laid there motionless blood_ _**pooling**_ _around her-)_

Severus scowled pushing those memories back. He always had an intense dislike for blood, but now was _not_ the time.

His body was sore, and he had no idea _where_ he currently was. His memories of last night were vague. The last thing he could remember was one of Mulcibers goons hitting him with the jelly legs curse.

He had been walking to his dorm when Vincent Fawley had gotten him from behind.

After that everything was a blur. At some point, he must have tried to crawl to safety.

His mind immediately went to Petunia and Lily and his breath caught. They didn't know what Mulciber was planning so they were completely vulnerable at the moment.

The thought of it made Severus's blood boil. He hadn't been able to protect them. His first friends in the _world_ and now they would be hurt because of his own incompetence.

He clenched his fists and took deep calming breaths. Lily and Petunia weren't weak. Lily was amazing at charms, and Petunia had a decent amount of hexes up her sleeve. If anything _Mulciber_ was the one that had better watch out.

For the first time since he gained consciousness, Severus truly observed his surroundings.

The room he was currently inhabiting was _humongous_. It was littered with multiple beds and bookshelves. It even had some bandages.

The jelly legs curse should have long since faded, but Severus was still having a bit of trouble moving his legs.

He hopped to the nearest bed and let out a sigh of relief as his body hit the mattress.

Severus never cared much for politics. But he was quickly learning that politics were the only way to survive in Slytherin. No matter what he had to do, who he had to kiss up to, Mulciber would _not_ be getting away with this.

His eyes drooped. The moment his head hit the pillow he was sent into a deep slumber.

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Petunia and Lily rushed towards the Slytherin common room before Petunia skidded to a halt.

Lily looked at her in confusion as Petunia let out a shaky laugh and scratched her cheek.

"Lils… do you actually _know_ the password to the Slytherin common room?" Petunia asked as her cheeks reddened. " _I_ certainly don't."

Realization dawned on Lily's face before being quickly replaced with dread.

"Tuney what are we going to _do_!?" Lily hissed in desperation. "Severus could be _really_ hurt."

"What _can_ we do? Maybe Remus knows the password." Petunia offered, patting Lily's back soothingly. She was trying not to think about where Severus could be at the moment. Thinking about it made her want to punch Mulciber again, and that was what started this mess in the first place.

A mischievous voice interrupted Petunia's train of thought.

"The Slytherin password is ' _Pureblood'_. A bit unoriginal if you ask me." James Potter stated as he walked towards them.

Identical frowns make their way onto Petunia and Lily's faces.

"Lucky for you Potter, nobody was _asking_ you." Lily hissed giving him the ninth degree stare down.

Due to the fact that Potter had pranked one of her dorm mates(Carlotta Parker) by vanishing all of her hair off, he wasn't one of Lily's favorite people at the moment.

(It had been shockingly obvious that Carlotta had harbored a crush on Potter, which made the matter much worse.)

Petunia stared at Potter disinterestedly for a moment before gasping. She rushed towards him and grabbed his shoulder unaware of the look that came over his face.

"Could you help us get into the Slytherin common room?" Petunia questioned frantically ignoring the sound of surprise that came from Lily.

"Tuney! What about _Remus_?" Lily stressed looking scandalized.

"Remus left to visit his mum." Potter vocalized, causing Lily let out a sound of derision.

On any normal day, Petunia would rather have hugged _Lori_ then ask Potter for help. In her opinion, he was an egotistical bully that needed to be knocked down a few pegs.

At the moment though, their options were very limited. Potter had a lot of practice sneaking into places due to the numerous shenanigans he and his friends would get themselves into.

Even sweet quiet Remus had gotten his fair share of detentions due to hanging around Potter and Black.

Potter contemplated it for a second.

"What's in it for me?" He eventually asked, running his hand through his already _very_ messy hair.

Petunia stared him straight in the eyes and was only _mildly_ impressed when he didn't flinch like most people would.

"Anything you want." Petunia answered unwaveringly.

A bright grin overcame Potter's face showcasing especially white teeth, and prominent dimples.

(Petunia may have the mentality of an adult, but at that moment she didn't blame Carlotta for having a crush on him.)

"Great!" He replied. "What's your plan?"

Petunia and a very reluctant Lily relayed the situation to him. Potter listened on, sagely nodding his head.

When they finished Potter smiled at them again.

"That plan was _awful_." He stated bluntly. "Even if most of the snakes will be at the Quidditch tryouts, there'll still be a good amount that stays behind. What about them?"

Lily fumed as Petunia tugged at her hair in agitation.

"I didn't exactly have time to come up with an immaculate plan." Petunia relayed through gritted teeth. "Sorry that not everyone can be a _genius_ like you Potter."

He sighed long-sufferingly.

"I know, it's a tragedy." He indicated actually looking a bit depressed at the fact.

If Severus wasn't currently in danger, Petunia would have laughed at that. Instead, she squashes down a tiny smile.

Lily looks between Potter and Petunia before cutting in.

"What's your plan?" She asks urgently.

Potter looks at them for a minute before lowering his voice.

"Meet me at the Gryffindor common room at five o'clock. We can't be out in the open like this." He conveyed quietly.

" _Severus can't wait."_ Petunia and Lily hissed in unison causing Potter to reel back in shock.

"Snape will be _fine_. Now, do you want to get into the Slytherin common room or not?" Potter asked in annoyance.

Petunia nodded her head reluctantly and nudged Lily to do the same. She had been so worried about Severus that she wasn't thinking straight. If they wanted to find anything they had to be more tactful about it.

She quickly surveyed her surroundings and was relieved to see that the hallway they were currently in was mostly empty. She dreaded to think of what would happen if anyone had overheard their conversation.

Lily and Petunia started to make their way towards the library. Until five o'clock they planned on researching about any possible secret passages that were in Hogwarts. If they were lucky maybe Severus was in one.

Petunia stopped for a second and slowly turned to Potter again.

"Thanks, Potter, I owe you one." Petunia stated, trying her best to smile. She _hated_ how fake it felt.

Potter looked at her intensively, almost as if he was _searching_ for something and nodded his head.

"No problem Evans." He replied as he walked away.

Petunia didn't quite know _what_ to make of James Potter. There were times when he was an inconsiderate arse(such as when he pranked Carlotta), and there were times like now.

Even though she'd never admit it out loud, Petunia actually had a bit of respect for him.

Many would argue that the pranks he and his entourage(including Remus sadly) pulled were stupid, and in all honesty, some of them were.

But… it took a decent amount of skill to be able to change the colors of the entire Hufflepuff common room into red and gold. Especially for first years.

Petunia rushed to catch up with Lily. _Severus_ was the top priority at the moment. Thoughts of Potter could wait… for now at least.

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Authors note: ' _Hiraeth'_ has passed **100** followers, and I am beyond overjoyed. I truly can never say this enough but thank you guys for giving this story a chance. As of right now ' _Hiraeth'_ has **108** followers, **63** favorites, and **60** reviews. On a different note, Juney(James x Petunia) finally interacted this chapter. It wasn't too long but it's the first time they've interacted in this fanfic and I hope you guys enjoyed it. Just to be clear James isn't in love with Petunia. He's only a kid right now so the most he feels for her is childish curiosity and possibly the beginnings of a crush. Love will come much _much_ later. As of right now, they aren't even friends, I want to build up a friendship between them before I explore the romantic aspect of their relationship. Petunia's a very guarded person so she won't just jump into a relationship with anyone. I chose James as her love interest because I believe that he'd be able to get her to let her walls down completely and open up to people more. Thank you guys for reading this chapter, I'll try to get chapter 13 out by winter break.

Questions I have for you Guys:

How did you guys feel about the Juney interaction? Did you think it was forced?

Where do you guys think Severus is? I feel as if I made it too obvious.

What questions do _you_ guys have for me? If they're not too spoilery I'll answer them next chapter.

 _P. S. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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Sirius and Peter had been playing a game of Wizard's chess when James had barged into the dorm room.

James barely spared them a second glance as he went rummaging through his luggage.

Sirius raised an eyebrow while Peter sniffed.

"Good afternoon to you too." Peter stated as he stared at the chessboard intensively.

James made no move to show that he had heard him, and continued to look through his luggage.

Even though they had been at Hogwarts for nearly four months, James had never properly unpacked his stuff. He instead chose to throw them wherever he saw fit.

Sirius finally chose to speak up.

"Whatcha looking for?" he questioned curiously.

James didn't answer at first, instead choosing to rummage underneath his bed. This went on for a few minutes before he quickly turned to them.

"Have you guys seen my invisibility cloak?" He asked hurriedly pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Sirius and Peter just stared at him.

"No." Sirius dragged on slowly as if he was speaking to a toddler, "It's called an _invisibility_ cloak for a reason."

James groaned in frustration as he went deeper and deeper into the black hole that was his belongings.

Sirius frowned. Since Remus had gone to visit his mum, they had agreed to hold off on any pranks until then. Why would he even _need_ his cloak?

James spent a few more minutes looking through his stuff before eventually gasping in revelation. He pulled a silvery transparent robe out of his luggage.

Before Peter had the chance to ask him where he was going James rushed out the dorm room.

"Rude." Peter eventually said as he went back to looking at the chessboard. "Your move Sirius."

Sirius stared at the spot James had just been standing at and frowned. Where was he _going_?

Sirius stood up abruptly.

"Sorry Pete, but I'm gonna go after him." he stated as he too ran out of the dorm room.

Peter watched as the only other occupant of the room left. He let out a yawn.

" _I'm_ going to take a nap." he said with the utmost finality as he flipped onto his bed. If Remus wasn't here to perform damage control he didn't even want to _think_ about what they were going to get themselves into.

Peter lay on his bed for a few moments before eventually sighing in exasperation and flopping off the bed to follow after them.

There was just something _about_ the boys in his dormitory. Something that made you want to follow them no matter what.

Even though he tried to ignore it, his inner Gryffindor ached for the sense of adventure that always seemed to trail after them.

For some odd reason, he felt… _safe_ with them.

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Lily tapped her foot impatiently.

"He said five o'clock." she hissed. "Where _is_ he?"

Petunia ignored Lily and instead chose to observe the Gryffindor common room. It wasn't as nice as the _Hufflepuff_ common room, but it had its own appeal at the same time.

Her and Lily had no such luck when it came to researching the secret passages. Everything was a dead end. They had gotten so frustrated that Madam Pince had kicked them out for causing a disturbance.

Lily continued to rant about how _awful_ Potter was, and Petunia frowned. She had never seen Lily get this worked up about _anyone_ before.

"Lily." Petunia started off hesitantly. "Why do you hate Potter so much? What he did to Parker was shitty I'll admit, but you've never gotten this worked up before."

Lily stared at her for a moment before sighing. She opened her mouth to say something, but a disembodied hand tapped her shoulder.

Lily squealed and jumped a foot in the air before turning to glare at the offender.

Potter, Black, and Pettigrew stared back at them with cheeky grins decorating their faces. Their bodies remained unseen.

Petunia gaped.

"Potter… is that an invisibility cloak?" Petunia questioned warily, trying to squash the burst of excitement she felt at the thought. "Do you… do you realize how _rare_ those are?

Potter nodded smugly and ushered the two sisters to hide underneath.

Petunia did so gladly, marveling at the creation. Lily took her time, and made sure to glare at Potter for good measure.

It was very crowded with five people under one cloak but they made do. Petunia couldn't bring herself to be angry at the fact that Potter had invited his friends along. Potter without Black, Remus, and Pettigrew beside him just looked _wrong_.

Black cleared his throat.

"So… what are we _doing_ exactly?" he whispered tentatively surveying the area around them.

Lily gave him the rundown of what was going on as Petunia moved next to Potter.

"After we get into the common room, I want to see if we can find Mulciber." Petunia relayed. "If we're lucky we might be able hear where Severus is."

Potter nodded before turning to look at Petunia.

"Why do you care so much about what happens to Snape?" He questioned not unkindly.

Lily bristled as Petunia mulled over how to answer the question.

"Severus is… family." Petunia settled on. "He's like a younger brother."

Potter nodded seemingly satisfied with the answer as they neared the Slytherin common room. Severus once told her that in order to gain entrance to the Slytherin common room you had to whisper to a certain wall. Petunia looked around and whispered the password to the wall on the left. She was very pleased when the doors opened smoothly.

The five of them shuffled inside the common room in a mess of entangled limbs.

A few upperclassmen littered the Slytherin common room, and it was clear to see how segregated it was.

Mulciber was sitting with his third years looking surprisingly smug.

Petunia wanted nothing more than to beat that smirk off his face. She dug her fingernails into her palms Black frowning at her as she did so.

Their chatter was surprisingly quiet, almost as if they had something to hide. The five of them slowly moved closer.

"... Slughorn is a _nutter_. All the teachers here are. They won't realize anything until late." Mulciber voiced proudly.

Petunia and Lily frowned and looked towards each other. He _had_ to be talking about Severus.

Anthony Parkinson snorted and nodded his head in agreement as did everyone else. The only one who chose to remain indifferent was a skinny third year that went by the name of Prince.

Mulciber stared at him and frowned.

"Oh come on Artemis. He's nothing but a filthy mudblood lover that probably won't amount to anything." He stated firmly causing Lily to slightly gasp and Black to wince. "I don't understand _why_ you keep defending him."

There was no doubt in Petunia's mind who they were talking about now, and she bit down on her lip to stop herself from saying anything.

'Artemis' gave a slight smile.

"You're right Nathan." He appeased easily angering Petunia further. "Say… what did you do to him exactly?"

An eager grin took over Mulciber's face as he recounted the tale. The five of them listened on in horror as he cheerfully described how they took Severus down. How blood poured out of his forehead as he tried desperately to crawl to safety.

"As soon as Vince used the Jelly legs curse Snape went down immediately. The git banged his head on the floor." Mulciber stated to the delight of his posse.

Tears started to ooze out of Lily's eyes and Petunia squeezed her hand. She desperately tried to ignore the burning sensation in her own eyes.

"Where do you think he is?" Artemis questioned. Petunia could tell he wasn't exactly happy with what he had just heard. He had a careful smile on his face and he was gripping the which he sat.

Mulciber let out a cruel laugh. Too cruel of any fourteen years old to have.

"Who cares. Wouldn't it be nice if we got rid of him forever?" Mulciber indicated.

Now _that_ was the final straw for Petunia.

She took a deep calming breath and ushered the rest of them to leave the common room.

As soon as they got out Lily burst into tears. Petunia gathered her in a hug and ignored the three boys who looked completely shell-shocked. Lily was usually a ball of fire, she didn't cry easily. Petunia plastered a fake smile on her face (she'd been doing that a lot lately) and turned to the boys.

"Thanks for helping us out." She voiced chirpily. "We'll take it from here-"

"No can do Evans," Potter stated bluntly. "We can't let you guys have _all_ the fun."

Petunia stared at him incredulously.

" _Excuse me?_ What part of this is _fun_ to you?" She hissed. "Severus could be lying _dead_ somewhere for all we know! All because of-" Petunia's voice broke as she quickly turned away from them. She _refused_ to let them see her cry.

Black stepped up to her and patted her shoulder awkwardly.

"I'm sure Snape is fine." He proclaimed. "Umm… try not to worry about it too much."

Petunia stared at him bemusedly. He obviously didn't have much experience when it came to comforting girls.

"Sirius is right." Pettigrew uttered. "Besides Snape's too scary to die."

Petunia and Lily both let out tiny laughs at that. Severus _could_ be pretty intimidating when he wanted to.

Petunia quickly wiped her eyes and Lily followed suit.

"They said that Sev had been walking back to his dorm room." Lily stated quietly. "We have to keep searching around this area. Someone should go check the Hospital Wing again too."

They all nodded in confirmation at this. Peter offered to go to the Hospital wing, while the remaining kids broke up into groups of two. Black went with Lily, and Potter was _far_ too happy to go with Petunia for reasons she did not care to fathom.

They broke off and went their separate ways, Potter chattering nonstop into Petunia's ear as they did so.

Petunia squashed down the feeling of annoyance she felt at that. The moment they made sure Severus was ok, Petunia planned on hexing him for putting her in this situation.

A tall skinny boy stared after them with a grateful smile on his lips. Hiding five people under one cloak wasn't one of the best ideas. The moment Lily had gasped, their cover had been blown. Artemis let out a sigh.

"Hopefully they find him." He commentated as he slowly walked back into the Slytherin common room.

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Author's note: I honestly hadn't expected to get this chapter out so fast, but here it is. They finally figured out what happened to Severus. I won't go into detail, but by next chapter(Or the chapter after that) they will find _where_ Severus is exactly and parts of how he got there. On another note, I plan on writing another Harry Potter fanfic and an FMA fanfic. I'd really appreciate if you guys gave me your thoughts about this. I don't have much else to say since I updated not too long ago except thank you for reading this chapter, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!

Questions _you_ guys had for me:

 **AnimemetSoul** : Your question was answered a bit this chapter, but I'll go into more detail. James might be jealous of other people(read to find out who) but he won't be jealous of Severus. Petunia and Severus are firmly platonic and this will appear a bit more clearly in the coming chapters. Thanks for reviewing consistently and I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter.

 **Nat Nicole** : You didn't really have a question, but I just wanted to clear something up. The reason Petunia said that she could see why Carlotta had a crush on him was because of his bright disposition. Petunia is **not** attracted to James and she won't be for awhile. Looking back I can see why you'd think that so I hope you don't take this response the wrong way. Thanks for being a loyal reader!

 **Xenocanaan** : You will find out the answer to this question very soon. Please stick around for a little bit longer. I know I said I'd answer all questions, but this is a question I'd rather you read for yourself to find the answer. You were one of the first people that followed this story, and I just want you to know that I appreciate you sticking by it for this long.

Thank you to all the people that followed, favorited and reviewed. Thanks for reading!

 _P.S. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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Severus glared at the bandages that laid in front of him.

He had been able to stop the bleeding from his forehead but he was having quite a little bit of trouble actually _wrapping_ the bandages around the wound.

Scratch that. He was having _a lot_ of trouble wrapping the bandages.

Severus let out an aggravated groan and tossed the bandages to the side. As long as the bleeding stopped, he could truly care less about the "proper medical etiquette" as Madam Pomfrey so lightly put it.

Severus cringed at the thought of the matron. She was _not_ one to mess with. He had gone to the hospital wing feigning illness a few times before to get away from his older housemates and she saw through him almost immediately each time.

He _really_ didn't want to think about how she'd react when he got out of here.

Severus hissed as he slowly maneuvered himself out of bed. His body was incredibly sore, but he had finally regained full mobility of his legs.

He stared at the bookshelves that were across the room with curiosity, as he gingerly made his way towards them.

His eyes gleamed as he saw as a worn, rusty looking book practically fell into his lap. The designs were elegant, and it immediately enraptured Severus's attention.

He opened it without hesitation and was amazed at what he saw on the inside.

He tucked the book into his robe pocket for later and finally focused on the task at hand. He stared around the room determinately and set his jaw.

He was _going_ to get out of here.

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Petunia huddled close to Potter as she scouted the area for the sixth time. She felt him stop next to her and immediately turned her gaze to him.

"Why are you _stopping_?" she hissed. "We still haven't-"

Potter pressed a hand to her mouth and shook his head. He pointed ahead and ushered her to move back.

She looked at where he was pointing, and understanding dawned on her almost immediately.

The prefects were making their rounds, and it wouldn't be good for them to be caught at this time.

The prefects weren't just _any_ prefects, they were _Slytherin_ prefects.

Slytherin prefects that just _happened_ to be supporters of Mulciber, and haters of Muggle-borns. It made Petunia want to pull her hair out.

Astrid Greengrass and Tristan Shafiq. Fifth-year prefects whose favorite pastimes were bullying unsuspecting muggle-borns(or anyone with a "dirty" heritage).

Potter gripped her arm.

"Calm down _Evans_ ," he hissed causing Petunia to blush. The fact that _Potter_ of all people was reprimanding her was a bit embarrassing, to say the least.

"Sorry," she whispered as she paid close attention to the clueless fifth years.

Eventually, the two left… but not before having a quick snogging session against one of the doors. Petunia struggled to keep a straight face and inwardly shook her head. According to Bertha, Greengrass was already betrothed to Amycus Carrow, a third year in Slytherin.

She smirked slightly. This could _definitely_ work in her favor.

Once they left, Potter tugged her along once more.

They searched the same area multiple times again until Petunia finally let out a cry of frustration.

"Maybe Lily and Sirius were able to find him," Petunia stated, before freezing momentarily.

Potter looked at her quizzically.

"Alright Evans?" he questioned, before following her line of vision as well. His mouth dropped slightly, as he saw exactly _who_ she was looking at.

Severus Snape walked towards the pair in a daze. He couldn't exactly see them due to the fact they were using the invisibility cloak, but he walked straight towards Petunia. His head was horribly bandaged, and he had an awful bruise on the side of his face.

Petunia ran out from underneath the cloak and gathered him into a hug. He returned it wordlessly and nodded at Potter slightly.

Petunia lifted Severus's arm and put it around her shoulders effortlessly. Potter put the cloak around all three of them and led them to the hospital wing.

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Albus Dumbledore was a very formidable figure, Petunia decided as she sat next to Severus. Lily was on his other side, desperately clutching his hand.

The three Gryffindor boys stood on the other side of the room, awkwardly looking in on the scene.

"Mr. Snape," Dumbledore started off seriously "Do you have any idea who did this to you?"

Lily opened her mouth, but Severus gave her a look. Her face reddened, but she bit her tongue.

Severus looked at the headmaster and gave him an innocent smile. The sight made both Lily, Petunia, _and_ Peter cringe. Severus was _not_ the type of person you would like to see smiling. It usually meant he was up to something.

"No, Headmaster," Severus said amiably "I've gotten along so well with everyone so far. I was just being clumsy,"

Dumbledore stared at Severus for a moment, before giving the younger wizard a smile of his own.

"Is that so? Well _do_ try and be more careful next time," he stated cheerfully as he made to leave the hospital room "Good night to you all,"

Everyone nodded their head at the peculiar old man. Sirius scowled at his retreating form.

"Andy always said he was a bit of a crackpot," he stated bluntly, causing Lily to gasp.

"He's _the_ most powerful wizard in the western hemisphere. I think he's allowed," Lily stated still clutching Severus's hand. Her forest green eyes eventually turned on the dark haired boy as well. Severus avoided her and looked down at his hands.

"Sev… why did you lie? You could've gotten them in trouble," Lily said slowly.

Severus scowled at her and shrugged both Petunia and Lily's arms off. He walked away from them moodily. Lily's eyes widened at that, but Petunia's narrowed.

"We're worried about you Severus. Don't just… shut us out like this," she said, as she made to move after him. She stopped once Severus finally met her gaze. He had a look in his eyes. The look he always got when he felt the need to prove himself. Petunia leveled a weak smile at him.

"Just… be safe. Alright?" she said as she gave him one last hug. She turned to the three Gryffindor boys and grabbed all of them by their shirts. They protested, but they weren't able to break free from Petunia's grip.

"Severus needs his rest. He doesn't want you gawking at him as if he's some sort of zoo animal," Petunia commanded, much to James and Sirius's confusion.

"What's a zoo?" James questioned much to Petunia's annoyance.

"Seriously? You don't know what a zoo is?" Petunia demanded, "What sort of deprived childhood have you had?"

They left the hospital room as well, leaving Lily and Severus alone.

After a moment, Severus turned to Lily. He tried to smile at her.

"Well… it looks as if Petunia's making friends," he started off easily, causing Lily to scowl.

"I don't trust them. Peter's ok, but Black and Potter are just weird. Potter's always staring at her in class, and Black won't stop talking to her,"

Severus smirked at that.

"Are you jealous Lily?" he teased as he reclaimed the seat next to her. Lily's jaw dropped.

"Me? Jealous of Potter and Black? Are you sure you're alright Severus?" Lily replied lightly, causing Severus to let out a laugh. He took Lily's hand again and truly _smiled_.

"Never better," he replied "I… I'm sorry for losing my temper. I promise to be careful,"

Lily nodded at that and made to leave.

"Good. Now I'm going to leave before the Dragon Lady returns. Pomfrey is _terrifying_ ,"

Severus nodded his head at that and bid her farewell. Lily stopped once more on her way out the door and turned to Severus one last time.

"I trust you Sev. But if you _ever_ need help, Tuney and I will be at your side _instantly_. Mulciber and those goons won't know what hit them,"

Severus smirked at that.

"Don't worry Lils. When I'm done with him, Mulciber will regret the day he even _saw_ me."

Lily grinned at him and skipped from the hospital wing. Severus let out a sigh of relief and pulled the book he had been looking over earlier from his pocket.

 _An Introduction to the Dark Arts_ was its title. For some reason, it made something in Severus light up.

Severus quickly looked at his surroundings, before opening the book with glee.

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Author's Note: Wow…. it has been a while since I've actually updated this story. In case you guys haven't noticed, today marks the one year anniversary of _Hiraeth_. I felt that I absolutely _had_ to update today. As of right now, _Hiraeth_ has **121** favorites **191** followers **103** reviews. I truly can't thank you guys enough. So, a lot of important things happened this chapter. As you saw with the two prefects, Petunia _does_ have a more vindictive side to her. She isn't a bad person obviously, but she will grow into more of a morally grey character. They found Severus this chapter, and he's relatively ok. But he now has a growing interest in the Dark Arts. I don't know when Severus found the Dark Arts in canon, but I'm making it happen relatively early here. It will play a part later in the story. I'll try and update more frequently.

Questions I have for you Guys:

How do you think his interest in the Dark Arts will affect Severus in the long run?(I know it ended badly for him in canon, but I want to remind you guys that this universe is completely different from the canon universe)

Would you guys want Snily to happen in this story?(I know I've asked questions similar to this before, but I want to hear your final opinions on it)

 _P.S. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._

 _P.P.S. I've started a new fanfic that takes place in the Fullmetal Alchemist universe. Please check it out._

 _Summary: Kairos(n.)-The perfect, crucial moment; the rightness of time and place that creates the opportune atmosphere for action, words or movement. Lola didn't know what she had been expecting. The Elric brothers had been her heroes in her past life. But now…they were just two freakishly talented kids in need of guidance. Guidance Lola wasn't sure she'd be able to give. Oc-insert._


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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Before Petunia could even comprehend it, Christmas Break was fast approaching.

The whole of Hogwarts was in a frenzy. People were exchanging gifts left and right with the new friends they had made, and to the old friends, they always had.

Almost everyone was excited for the upcoming holidays.

Well… everyone except one.

Petunia had been on her way to the owlery to send a letter home when she came across a very depressing sight.

Sirius Black was hunched over, knees pulled into his chest. He didn't notice Petunia come in.

Petunia sent Artemis off and turned to him slowly. She took the seat next to him.

"Leave me alone Evans," he mumbled when he finally noticed her presence. Petunia shook her head at that.

"No can do Black. Not until you tell me why you're so depressed this close to Christmas."

Sirius raised his head, and Petunia was shocked at how ragged he looked.

He wordlessly pushed a letter into her hands. Petunia looked over it, and was immediately insulted on his behalf.

"Is Regulus your brother?" she questioned softly. Sirius nodded his head yes.

"Reg says that I shouldn't come home this time. Father won't be too bad, but mother isn't exactly thrilled about my house placement," he stated bitterly.

Petunia scowled at that and ruffled his hair.

"No offense, but your mum seems _horrid_ ,"

Sirius nodded his head sagely.

"She is pretty awful," Sirius agreed easily "But… I guess I deserve it,"

Petunia leveled him with a glare.

"No, you don't. It doesn't matter _where_ you end up. Your mum shouldn't treat you like that,"

Sirius shrunk in on himself but nodded his head. Petunia got up smoothly.

"Now, I have to go meet up with Caradoc. Don't beat yourself up over it Black, you're a good kid," Petunia stated as she walked out of the owlery, leaving Sirius alone to his thoughts.

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Petunia planted a kiss on Severus's cheek, as she got ready to board the train home. Lily had already left to find a carriage for them.

"Severus, I know you're not the best at making friends. But I need to ask a favor," Petunia started off. Severus gave her a look but nodded his head anyway.

"Blacks having trouble with his family. Could you maybe talk to him? You don't have to be _buddies_ , but maybe you guys can find common ground?"

Severus just stared at her.

"Petunia I don't have time to make _friends_. In case you've forgotten, most of Slytherin is after my neck," Severus said wryly causing Petunia to scowl.

"In case _you've_ forgotten, Sirius hails from a very old pure blooded family. If you get him on your side, then maybe he could help. His brother's coming to Hogwarts next year as well. Sirius says he's a shoo-in for Slytherin." Petunia prattled to Severus's confusion. His jaw dropped, causing Petunia to scowl at him.

"Well?" Petunia demanded.

"It's just… you've never called Black by his first name before. Is he really your friend?"

Petunia blushed slightly and nodded her head.

"He's really not that bad Severus. _None_ of them are. Their jokes can be cruel at times, but they don't mean any true harm,"

Severus stared at her, and shook his head.

"Whatever you say Tuney. I'll… I'll try to be his _friend_ ," Severus stated snidely causing Petunia to beam at him. She pulled him in for one more hug.

"Thanks Sev," she stated warmly as she ran to catch the train "Me and Lils will write you as soon as we get home. Take care!"

Severus could only wave at her helplessly as she made her way out of his sight.

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The moment they made their way off the train, their Mum and Aunt Jo gathered them in a hug. Lori stood in the back, holding Briar and trying to ignore their existence as per usual.

"It's been so dull without you girls here. You have to tell us _everything_ ," Jo demanded, as Zinnia shook her head in agreement.

Caradoc walked out behind them and cleared his throat.

"Wow Tunia, you didn't tell me you had two elder sisters," he said to Petunia's annoyment.

"Don't even think about it Doc. This is my mum Zinnia, and my Aunt Jo," Petunia introduced warmly "This annoyance right here goes by the name of Caradoc Dearborn,"

Caradoc smiled at the two of them and kissed both of their hands. Zinnia and Jo looked impressed, Petunia and Lily were _disgusted_ , and Lori…

Petunia looked at the older girl cautiously and was shocked at what she saw. Lori was staring at Caradoc as if he was the only other person in the room. She looked _lovestruck_.

Caradoc saw her staring, and sent her a disarming smile. Lori looked as if she couldn't breathe.

"Mum, Aunt Zin, Briar's fussing," Lori lied effortlessly. Briar was currently sleeping peacefully "I think I'll take him back to the car," she hightailed it out of there before Jo could even get a word in.

Petunia sent her a knowing look, and for once in her life actually felt bad for Lori. Caradoc had nice features and was considered to be very good looking. He had already had his fair share of girlfriends even though he was only a third year. She wasn't surprised Lori had already harbored a crush on him.

Caradoc and Petunia made plans to meet over the summer, while Lily looked at the place Lori had been standing worriedly.

"I hope she's alright," Lily stated as they made to follow Lori to the car.

Petunia smirked and nodded her head.

"Lori will be fine. She'll get over it soon enough," Petunia stated much to Lily's confusion.

"Get over what?" Lily questioned. Petunia sent her a knowing look.

"Not telling," she teased much to Lily's annoyance.

Lori spent the rest of the car ride in a daze. The other inhabitants of the car gave her weird looks, but she ignored them.

The moment they got home, she shoved Briar into Petunia's arms and walked up to her room briskly. She slammed her door shut.

Petunia scowled at her and steadied Briar in her arms. He was already getting so _big_.

Petunia and Lily spent the rest of the afternoon telling the adults(and a very sleepy Briar) about their adventures at Hogwarts so far. They left out the incident with Severus and quite a few others, but the two women were none the wiser and glad to hear about what they could.

Petunia and Lily laid across from each other that evening. The rest of the house was fast asleep.

"Tuney… it all feels like a dream," Lily whispered "It feels like I could wake up at any minute,"

Petunia pinched Lily causing her to let out a cry of pain.

"What was _that_ for?" Lily demanded as she rubbed her arm tenderly. Petunia grinned at her.

"Now you know it isn't a dream," Petunia started off cheerfully "All of it was _real_ ,"

Lily let out a teary grin at that, and nodded her head. They focused on writing their letter to Severus. Since Petunia contained the better handwriting of the two, she was responsible for penning it down.

"Sev could've come home with us," Lily grumbled to Petunia's amusement.

"Mum and Aunt Jo might've approved, but Lori wouldn't. You know how bad she can get Lily," Petunia stated as she looked over her work so far.

"Yeah, yeah. But Sev shouldn't have to spend the holidays alone! I can't believe Cecilia's making him stay at Hogwarts,"

"It's for the best Lils, Severus would've been miserable going back to that house," Petunia stated as she folded the letter and got up to tie it to Artemis's leg. The owl flew away gracefully.

"I swear, Artemis likes you more than he likes me," Lily stated as she watched the dark owl fly way. Petunia let out a laugh at that and shook her head.

Animals _did_ like Petunia more, but Lily's talent was with _people_. She just had a certain charisma to her.

They spent the rest of the evening staring at the sky from their window sill. Petunia finally let Lily in on Lori's apparent crush on Caradoc. Lily was gobsmacked.

"Well… they're both very attractive," Lily realized after a while "If Lori just fixed her personality then _maybe_ they'd look good together," Petunia nodded in agreement at that before a sly look came over her face.

"I am not letting her hear the end of this," Petunia stated as she thought of all the possible ways she could tease Lori about this new revelation. Lily shook her head.

"So that's why she was blushing so much. Maybe one day we could set them up?" Lily said excitedly.

Petunia raised an eyebrow at that.

" _Sure_ , when Lori becomes a decent human being A.K.A when _hell_ freezes over, _then_ we'll set them up." Petunia stated, letting her childishness get the better of her.

Lily had a look of contemplation on her face.

"Lori can be a jerk at times, but she isn't an awful person. Just look at how good she is with Briar,"

Petunia kept quiet at that, and couldn't help but agree. Lori was _amazing_ with Briar, and all children if she were to be completely honest. She lightened up around them.

Petunia sighed and felt slightly ashamed of herself.

"Oh… alright," she relented "I'll.. _talk_ to her about it. If she can actually hold a civil conversation, then I'll tell Caradoc that she likes him,"

Lily smiled at that.

"Maybe we can all be friends now?" she stated hopefully.

Petunia frowned at that as she got ready to go to sleep.

"Don't push it Lils,"

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Author's Note: Here's _Hiraeth_ chapter 15! As of right now, _Hiraeth_ has **131** favorites **202** follows **106** reviews. Thank you guys so much! I am beyond happy that this story has reached over **200** follows. Not much happened this chapter, but things _will_ start to pick up soon.

Dreamcast(If you have trouble visualizing the characters):

Petunia: Josefine Frida Pettersen

Lily: Sophie Skelton

Severus: Louis Garrel

Caradoc: Anthony White (model)

Remus: Tarjei Sandvik Moe

Sirius: Miles McMillan

James: Reece King

Peter: Max Barczak

Lori: Amandla Stenberg

(If you guys want to see anyone else, just let me know in the comments)

Questions I have for you guys:

Would you guys want Lori x Caradoc in the future?

The first year is almost over, is there anything you guys would like to see happen?

 _P.S. I know I mentioned this last chapter, but just in case you guys didn't know I have a new story out for FMA. Please check it when you get the chance._

 _P.P.S. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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Severus stood in front of the Gryffindor common room, contemplating his life choices. More than a few people gave him dirty looks, but no one confronted him upright.

" _I… am I really doing this?"_ he asked himself silently as he stared at the entrance. He thought of mismatched eyes, and a warm smile and nodded his head in agreement.

" _Petunia you owe me big time,"_ he mumbled as he finally made his way into the Gryffindor common room. As to be expected, people weren't exactly happy with his arrival.

"What's a _Slytherin_ doing here?"

"How did he even get _in_ -"

Severus ignored all of them and strode right up to his person of interest. Sirius Black stared at him cautiously.

"Can I help you Snape?" he asked slowly "Did you need something?"

Severus sighed and plastered a smile on his face. Sirius cringed at the sight.

"Look… do you need something? I'm not really in the mood for small talk," Sirius stated as he went back to reading his book. Severus scowled at him.

"I came to talk to you-"

"I gathered that Snape," he said disinterestedly as he turned a page "But what about?"

Severus narrowed his eyes at that and looked around the common room. People were _still_ giving him dirty looks.

"Not here Black," he stated firmly "Walk with me,"

Sirius gave him a look but followed him slowly.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Sirius finally broke it.

"Alright Snape, _what do you want_?" he hissed causing Severus to scowl "It's not like we're friends or anything,"

Severus met Sirius's gaze head on and was a bit impressed when he didn't flinch away.

"I was hoping to reach an alliance-"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a Slytherin. I don't _do_ alliances," Sirius cut in effortlessly, not even bothering to let Severus finish.

He had a look of superiority, and at that moment Severus wanted nothing more than to smack it off his face.

Petunia said that he wasn't that bad, that he was _misunderstood_. But Severus _had_ to disagree. All he could see at that moment was a spoiled rich kid that never truly had to work for anything in his life. Someone blatantly ignoring his _privilege_.

So Severus voiced that opinion.

Sirius's grey eyes went cold, as he stopped right in front of Severus. He was about an inch or two taller, but Severus held his ground.

"You know nothing about me, Snape, so don't act as if you do,"

"I know enough," Severus hissed "I know that even though you try to act all high and mighty deep down you're just as bad as the family you claim to hate so much,"

Severus knew it was a low blow, but if they were going to be allies he needed to test him. See what his weaknesses were.

Sirius shoved him backward, and Severus had to hold back a smirk. He had a bit of a temper, but Severus could work with that.

"Did I hit a nerve, Black? Are you truly that weak?"

Sirius went in for a punch but Severus sidestepped it easily enough. He may have been bigger, but Severus could tell that the pureblood had never really been in a physical altercation before.

" _I'm_ weak Snape? Weren't you the one who got knocked out by Mulciber?"

Severus froze at that.

He really hadn't planned on _actually_ fighting Sirius, but the Mulciber incident was still a sore subject for him.

Severus snarled, dark eyes flashing as he lunged for Sirius. The other boy may have had a few more pounds on him, but Severus was a bit more skilled when it came to actual hand to hand combat.

Even so… they both ended up with multiple bruises on their persons by the end of it.

Severus wiped his nose and wasn't surprised to see blood coming from it. He looked at Black and was satisfied to see that he was sporting not one but two black eyes.

The two boys stared at each other.

"Look, Black," Severus started off flustered "This is pointless. I didn't come here just to breach an _alliance_ , I was hoping to be _friends_ ,"

Sirius stared at him, gobsmacked.

"Wow… you really suck at making friends then," he stated bluntly as he tried to clean himself up "Why would I even _want_ to be friends with you?"

"Oh… I don't know," Severus started off innocently "Maybe so you don't get called a blood traitor every five minutes. If you've seen being friends with a Slytherin, even if the Slytherins _me_ , it might help you out,"

Sirius looked to be contemplating it, so Severus decided to put the final nail in the coffin.

"It could help your brother as well,"

Sirius froze for a moment and glared daggers at Severus.

"How so?" he asked silkily.

"He's a shoo-in for Slytherin, isn't he? Do you really want him following someone such as Mulcibers footsteps?"

Sirius frowned at Severus for a moment before shaking his head.

"Oh… _fine_ ," Sirius hissed looking surprisingly flustered "We can be _allies_ ,"

Severus stared at him for a moment, before sighing.

"Look… you helped Lily and Petunia find me right?" he started off slowly "I'm… _sorry_ if I offended you. I want to be _friends_ not just allies."

Sirius gave him an unreadable look.

"Help me fix my face and I'll think about it,"

That was how the two boys spent the rest of the afternoon, treating each other's bruises and forming a shaky yet _steady_ friendship.

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Petunia glared at the boy in front of her and didn't even bother to hide her disdain.

Darwin Snape stared back at her, Cooly.

"Freaky eyes," he demanded, "Where's my brother?"

Petunia bristled at the old nickname but refused to show it outwardly.

"Why don't you ask Cecilia?" Petunia inquired innocently as she attempted to make a snowman.

Darwin snarled at her and moved closer to her person. He knocked her snowman over.

"Don't refer to my mother using her first name you-"

"I'll refer to your mother anyway I see fit" Petunia hissed surprising Darwin "If you _really_ think you can beat me, _Snape_ , bring it on,"

The clearing that they were currently inhabiting began to get very windy, and Petunia knew it was her doing. Darwin stared at her cautiously.

"You… you're nothing but a _freak_!" he yelled as he ran away from the clearing.

Petunias breathe caught at that, and she stared down at her hands helplessly.

"Maybe he's right," she mumbled as she walked back to her house. She had been hoping to make the snowman for Briar but deemed it futile at that point.

She walked aimlessly for a bit, before eventually finding her way to her mum's flower shop.

"Hello! Welcome to- oh it's _you,_ " Lori sneered as she went back to filing her nails.

Petunia ignored her and looked at the multiple flowers that inhabited the store. She had never been this close to them before.

"Do you need something _freak_? Or are you just here to annoy me with your presence-"

"Why do you hate me so much?" Petunia interrupted to Lori's surprise. The older girl scrunched her nose prettily. Anything Lori did could be considered pretty.

Lori sighed and stared at Petunia cooly.

"I don't hate you Petunia, I _loathe_ you," Lori hissed causing something in Petunia's heart to shift.

"Why do you… _loathe_ me?"

"Do I really need a reason?" Lori asked as she tapped her chin "Looking at you makes me physically _ill_ ,"

Petunia felt her eyes burn slightly, but she refused to cry in front of Lori of all people. She forced a smile on her face.

"Have a good day Lori. For _your_ sake, I hope Caradoc doesn't find out how much of a _bitch_ you are,"

Lori's entire face changed, and Petunia couldn't help but feel a bit satisfied with that. She left the flower shop swiftly after that.

She walked aimlessly once more and eventually made her way to a very familiar place.

Tears streamed down her face freely as she looked at her father's grave. She kneeled down in front of it.

She spent the rest of the afternoon talking to her father's headstone. She told him about all the happenings in her life. She told him how even though he had been gone for about two years, that her mum still talked about him almost every day. She told him about Hogwarts, how it was one of the most amazing places she had ever seen.

She talked and talked until the sun finally set. She got up and dusted herself off.

She gave her father one last look as she made her way out of the graveyard. She took a deep breath.

" _I'm sorry,"_ she whispered as she walked home.

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Author's note: So here's chapter 16 of _Hiraeth_! As of right now, _Hiraeth_ has **211** follows **137** favorites **111** reviews. Thank you guys so much! In regards to this chapter, a lot happened. Sirius and Severus have become friends(sort of?) and we got a little more of Lori. Right now Lori isn't really a good person, but it will be explained why later on. She _will_ get better though, I _promise_. We also had Petunia talking to her father this chapter. Even though he wasn't shown much in this story, he and Petunia _did_ have a very close relationship when he was alive. You'll find out how he died _eventually_ , but probably not anytime soon. You'll also find out _why_ Lori hates Petunia so much, they sort of go together in a way. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! By next chapter, we should be back at Hogwarts.

Questions I have for you Guys:

How do _you_ guys think Harry(Petunia and Lily's father) died?

What are some things you'd like to see in _Hiraeth_?

 _P.S. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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Before it could even be realized, Christmas break had long gone and Petunia found herself back at Hogwarts. It had been a fun time for the most part.

Caradoc had sent her a present which she very discreetly rubbed in Lori's face, and she had performed in the holiday dance show in her neighborhood.

Dancing was the only time Petunia truly let herself go, and Lily stated that she had looked _beautiful_ up on stage. Coming from _Lily_ , Petunia took it as one of the best compliments imaginable.

She didn't tell Lily about the encounter with Lori, or about visiting their father's grave. She suspected Lily knew something was up but was grateful that the redhead didn't pry.

Petunia listened to Marlene talk about her holidays half-heartedly, as she nibbled on a piece of toast.

She waved to Lily as the bubbly redhead entered the common room, and was surprised to see Remus walk in beside her. She was also surprised to see that he had obtained another scar.

Petunia frowned at that and took deep breaths to calm herself down. She had been toying with the idea for awhile now and had thought about confronting Remus about it.

It… it pained her to admit it. But… Remus showed multiple signs of an abuse victim.

He refused to talk about his home life, he recoiled whenever someone touched him, and he could be very self-depreciating at times.

She had seen it with Tommy Martin, and she had hoped to never see it again.

Tommy had moved out of their neighborhood a few years back, and Petunia would never forget the look on his face. It was almost as if he was pleading for someone- _anyone_ \- to realize his situation.

Eventually, his eyes passed over Petunia, and she had been shocked to find that tears were coming out of them. His stepfather called out to him, and it made Petunia's heartbreak to see him flinch so violently.

But… like always… everyone in the neighborhood kept their head down. It wasn't any of _their_ business of course. So why should they get involved?

After that day, she had never seen Tommy again. But, she couldn't help but wonder about him at times.

Her focus moved back towards Remus, and she couldn't help but scowl ever so slightly.

Something was so _obviously_ wrong with him, but the teachers were doing _nothing_. So many things went right under their noses.

Amelia poked her cheek.

"You look as if you're about to kill someone," she stated as she ate a spoonful of pudding "You alright?"

Petunia sighed and pasted a smile on her face.

"I'm fine Lia, I'm just so _tired_ ,"

Marlene perked up in interest at that.

"Oh right! You said that you had a dance recital? What's that like?"

Petunia smiled and explained all the fundamentals. Dorcas cleared her throat and smiled politely.

"How long have you been dancing for?" she asked shyly as she sipped her pumpkin juice.

"Well… since I was seven I think," Petunia said thoughtfully "It feels like a _lifetime_ ago,"

In a way, it sort of was. Her father was still alive, Lori didn't _hate_ her over something she couldn't control.

She was… _happier_.

Amelia clapped her hands together and nodded.

"It's settled then! Tunia you _have_ to show us your skills later,"

Petunia blushed at that and shook her head.

"I'm really _not_ that talented-"

"Nonsense!" Marlene cut in "I'm sure you're fabulous,"

Petunia sighed and hurriedly changed the subject.

Her thoughts strayed to Remus every once in a while, and she couldn't help but feel incredibly sad.

She sorely hoped that it was a misunderstanding. That her intuition was wrong.

Remus was a sweet kid, and he didn't deserve to go through that.

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Remus stretched languidly as he laid in his hospital bed. The full moon had been especially brutal last night, and he felt _horrid_.

Madam Pomfrey had sentenced him to bedrest, which he happily obliged to.

He had been taking a nap when someone tapped him awake.

Petunia Evans stared down at him apologetically, as she put a pack of chocolate on his bedside.

"Severus said you like chocolate," she explained as she took the seat next to him. Remus nodded as he took the pack.

"Thank you Petunia," he said gratefully "But… why are you here? Not that I don't enjoy your company of course!" he tacked on awkwardly. Petunia stared at him for a moment and smiled causing Remus to relax slightly.

"I wanted to see how you're doing. You're always in here," She stated, as she absentmindedly took her hair out of her ponytail and started braiding it. She stared at Remus directly and he desperately tried not to squirm. Petunia was a nice girl, but her stares could be _intense_.

"I… I'm fine," he stated as he suppressed a yawn "I'm just tired in all honesty."

Petunia laughed at that.

"Oh alright, I can take a hint Lupin. I'll let you have your beauty rest. Get better soon okay,"

Remus gave her a thumbs up as she saluted towards him. A warm feeling settled in his stomach as he ate the chocolate bar. It was quickly replaced with an unsettling feeling of dread.

What if she figured it out? What if she _knew_? Would she still want to be friends?

Something clicked in his head as he finished the bar.

He couldn't remember _ever_ telling Severus he liked chocolate.

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Caradoc smirked as Petunia took the seat next to him. Petunia scowled at him and slugged him in the arm.

"Wipe that stupid look off your face before I hex it still. You're making me uneasy,"

"You wound me Tunia. Am I not allowed to smile?"

"It usually means you're up to something,"

"I can't argue with that, but I'm not up to something this time. You could say I'm up to _someone_ -"

"Gross Doc, that _wasn'_ t even clever," Petunia stated as she looked over her DADA homework.

"I'll have you know that Scarlet thinks I'm very clever," Caradoc boasted as he inspected his fingernails. Petunia gaped at him.

"The Ravenclaw fourth year? Why would someone as cool as that want _you_?"

Caradoc gave her a baleful glare, as Petunia laughed at him. Caradoc sighed and ruffled her hair.

"Oh Petunia, I pity the bloke that ends up falling for you,"

Petunia just stuck her tongue out at him.

On the other end of the castle, James Potter sneezed

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Author's Note: Here's _Hiraeth_ chapter 17! As of right now, _Hiraeth_ has **151** favorites **232** followers and **114** reviews. Thank you guys so much for this! As I mentioned before, year one is ending very soon. By chapter 20, we should be in year two(or whatever year I decide to go to). In case you guys didn't know, I updated _Lacuna_ yesterday night. I plan to update another chapter for it very soon.

Questions I have for you guys:

What's your favorite fanfic that I've written so far?

Do you guys have any questions for me?

 _P.S. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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Petunia licked her ice cream cone slowly as Severus pushed Lily on the swingset.

Their first year at Hogwarts had ended with a bang. With Slytherin winning the House Cup, and some Gryffindor boys(Who surprisingly weren't James Potter and his gang) turning the Slytherin common room into Gryffindor colors.

Fabian and Gideon Prewett were third-year Gryffindors whose mischievous streak rivaled the first year troublemakers. Their pranks usually weren't as extravagant as the first year Gryffindors, but they were funny all the same.

Petunia sighed, as she desperately searched for some shade. Summer vacation had only been going on for two weeks, and she could already feel herself getting tanner and gaining more freckles.

She eventually found an oasis underneath a very tall tree. Severus eventually saddled up next to her and sighed as Lily attempted to fly off the swingset.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He questioned as he took a seat. Petunia smiled at him and shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. They're not that important anyway," Petunia replied as she watched the neighborhood children pass by. They were all very careful not to look her directly in the eye, but one of the younger ones _did_ wave at her. A smile made its way onto her face at that.

"You always say that," Severus stated as he yawned slightly "You're probably plotting world domination right before our eyes,"

Petunia laughed at that but shook her head.

"Don't worry Snape," she teased jokingly "If I ever plot world domination, you'll be one of the first people I tell. I could use your brains on my side,"

"Such a Slytherin. Are you sure the hat put you in the right house?" Severus drawled, before laughing as well. Petunia sobered slightly at the mention of Slytherin, before narrowing her eyes and turning to Severus.

"Severus, what are your plans for next year? What're you going to do about Mulciber?" Petunia asked worriedly "I… you need to be prepared,"

Severus rolled his eyes and waved her off.

"Thanks for your concern _mum_ , but I can handle it," Severus stated bitterly "I have a plan so don't worry about it,"

Petunia stared at him for a moment, before shaking her head. She twirled a strand of her hair.

"Oh alright," Petunia started, before turning to Severus menacingly "But, I'm _warning_ you Severus Tobias Snape, whatever your plan is it _better_ not be dangerous,"

Severus smiled nervously at that.

"It's not dangerous Tuney, I promise," he stated as he put his hands behind his back and crossed his fingers.

Petunia smiled at him warmly, and Severus felt his stomach twist with guilt.

"Good. Now let's go stop Lily from doing… _whatever_ it is she's doing. I honestly can't keep up with that girl at times," Petunia stated fondly.

Severus just grimaced and nodded his head. It was the first time he had ever lied to Petunia. For some reason… it left a bad feeling in his stomach.

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Caradoc whistled as Petunia exited her house.

"Is that a tank top I spot Evans? Shorts? How _scandalous_ ,"

Petunia rolled her eyes, and just looped her arm through Caradoc's. She spotted Lori watching them through the living room window and started to move at a much faster pace.

"Let's hurry up please," Petunia muttered, "You said your cousin was… apparating us to your house right?"

Caradoc nodded at that, before looking back at the living room window.

" _Your_ cousin keeps staring at us. Why?" Caradoc questioned lowly as they turned the corner.

Petunia sighed and shook her head.

"Let's not talk about her," Petunia replied, before realizing _exactly_ what Caradoc had said "And she's _not_ my cousin. Tell me more about your family instead,"

Caradoc stared at Petunia for a moment, before nodding his head.

"Well… my mum's great. She's a healer at St. Mungos. She'll _love_ you," Caradoc settled on, as he smiled at a pretty girl passing by. Petunia just rolled her eyes at him.

"What about your sisters?"

"Well they're a bit younger, so it might take them a while to get used to you. But they'll learn to love your weirdness as well," Caradoc stated playfully, avoiding a swipe from Petunia.

"If they deal with you on a daily basis, I'm sure they can deal with me,"

"I don't know about _that_ -"

A loud cough interrupted their bantering. Petunia looked up to see a tall teenage girl staring down at them with twinkling eyes.

"Wow, Doc. You never told me your friend was so pretty," she stated looking Petunia up and down. The physically younger girl flushed at the compliment "I've never _seen_ eyes like that before,"

"I… thank you for the compliment but I'm really not _that_ nice to look at," Petunia sputtered. Caradoc laughed and ruffled Petunia's hair.

"She's modest," Caradoc started before turning a curious eye towards his cousin "Piper, are you going to be staying for dinner?"

'Piper' mulled it over for a second, before nodding her head.

"I don't see why not. I have to talk to aunt Ginger anyway," Piper replied as she reached out both of her arms.

"Petunia right? I'm going to apparate us away from here. Are you sure your parents are fine with you coming?" Piper asked worriedly. Petunia nodded her head slowly.

Her mum and aunt Jo had been a little _too_ happy for her to accept Caradoc's invitation. Her cheeks still warmed at how… _surprised_ they had been that Petunia actually had plans aside from her dance classes and hanging out with Lily and Severus.

"Trust me. They're more than happy for me to join you guys," Petunia stated. Caradoc frowned slightly.

"Why didn't Lily come with you? I extended the invitation to her as well,"

"Well… Lily wanted to spend her summer here. She was rather homesick over the school year," Petunia stated guiltily. In actuality, Lily had wanted to spend the summer with Severus. Not wanting to leave their friend alone by himself over the holiday.

Petunia only felt slightly guilty about how fast she had accepted Caradoc's invitation, however. It wasn't as if Severus _minded_. He encouraged her to go.

Caradoc nodded at that, before sighing forlornly.

"Pity, I was _hoping_ to spend more time with her," Caradoc stated mischievously. Petunia scowled at him and swatted at his shoulder once more.

"Stay away from my sister you creep," Petunia stated "She's much too good for you,"

"You wound me Tunia," Caradoc stated dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. Petunia made to retort but was interrupted when Piper cleared her throat. Cheeks burning once more, Petunia quieted down. Piper laughed slightly.

"Feisty aren't you?" Piper teased "I thought Caradoc had been exaggerating,"

"Do I ever exaggerate?" Caradoc questioned, with a look of mock hurt on his face. Petunia and Piper both turned to give him a deadpan look.

"All the time," they droned, before looking at each other and letting out identical laughs. Caradoc rolled his eyes.

"Once you two have finished bonding, would you mind actually taking us to the manor Piper?" Caradoc drawled. Piper gasped and shook her head.

"I almost forgot! Grab onto my hand Tunia- is it alright if I call you that?" Piper questioned hurriedly. Petunia just smiled and nodded her head.

"Yeah, this gits already got the whole of Hogwarts calling me that. So I don't see the harm in one more," Petunia replied, prodding Caradoc's shoulder.

"You love me," Caradoc stated cheerily "I help you keep up with your nonexistent social life,"

Petunia mouth dropped in mock outrage at that, as she and Caradoc continued to banter back and forth. Piper watched on with amusement, as she apparated them away from the muggle world.

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At the age of fourteen, Artemis Prince prided himself on being a person that wore _many_ masks.

He wore the mask of a follower while at school, the mask of the 'prodigal son' while at home, and the mask of the spoiled pureblood prince whenever it was needed.

Even though he hid behind many masks, Artemis always knew who he was. He always knew what his purpose was.

That purpose was to lead the Prince family to success because in the end, nothing was more important than family.

When he had seen his cousin. His pale, skinny, frankly unimpressive cousin. Artemis didn't have high hopes.

He couldn't risk his position in Slytherin by being overly nice to a half-blood of all things. Especially a muggle sympathizer.

But, at the same time, he couldn't let his own blood suffer under an idiot such as Mulciber.

 _(No matter what… he's still your family-)_

He remembered his Aunt Eileen. He remembered that under her rough edges, she had been a kind soul. Severus reminded him of her.

So… Artemis did what he did best. He lied and manipulated whoever he saw fit, in order to reach his goal.

He had to see… he had to see if it was worth it. If Severus was worth it.

 _(Are you really going to risk it all… for some half-blood-)_

Yes. He was.

Despite what people thought of him, Artemis wasn't heartless.

He may not have cared about normal people. But he cared about his family.

Wasn't family all that mattered anyway?

Always faithful, always loyal.

 _Semper Fidelis._

That was the Prince family motto, and they were words that Artemis had sworn to live by.

 _(You Artemis… you must lead the Prince family to-)_

It was a promise he was willing to die for.

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Author's Note: After four months of inactivity, here's _Hiraeth_ chapter 18! I felt that since it's Harry's birthday today, I had to update at least one of my Harry Potter stories. This chapter was a bit rushed, but I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless. As of right now, Hiraeth has **200** favorites, **297** followers, and **122** reviews. Thank you guys for getting this story to 200 favorites. Also, I posted a chapter for my **Boku no Hero Academia** story not too long ago. If you're interested in that fandom, please give my story _Meraki_ a look.

Questions I have for you guys:

What do you think of Artemis?

Do you guys have any questions for me?

 _P.S. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._


	19. Not an actual chapter

Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm sorry this isn't an actual chapter, but I feel that this had to be made.

While I still love the HP fandom, I've sadly lost inspiration to write for it. I've tried, but the words won't come out.

As you probably know, I've attempted to rewrite my other two HP stories, and am currently thinking of doing the same with _Hiraeth_. I just feel unhappy with the way it is at the moment.

I'll try my best to get the rewrite out soon, and I hope you guys aren't too disappointed. This story had a lot of supporters, and i'm sorry to let you guys down.

The rewrite will still be James/OC.

This is the first fanfic I've ever written, so I definitely don't plan on abandoning it completely. The same goes for my other two HP stories.

 **Questions:**

What would you guys like to see in the rewrite?

Do you guys want me to keep this version of the story up like I did with my other two HP stories, or delete it completely?


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